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A 100-year-old oak tree toppled over on the initial day of a vacation. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the massive tree smashed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was covered by branches that broke the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would collapse," James recalls. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

Had it fallen minutes earlier we would have been seriously injured or fatally wounded

Emergency repairs took a full day after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple worried the building might be unsafe and decided to book a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We recognize this may have caused some inconvenience," stated the first of many similar automated messages before closing the pending case with a cheerful "Stay safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you heard a loud noise and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the worry and distress instead of celebrating a unique memory."

Summer Vacation Issues Emerge

With the peak travel period has ended, countless travel nightmare accounts are emerging.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their accommodation – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it did not. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One common factor unites these spoiled holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The expansion of rental platforms has led to a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms showcase global property portfolios on their websites and promise to fulfill travel dreams on a limited funds.

Customer safeguards, however, have not kept pace with their widespread use.

Regulatory Loopholes

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters under consumer travel regulations, but those who book accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms promote additional protections, but your agreement is with the person or company offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves paying double the amount for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to reimburse customers for serious problems, the company declared it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host insisted the decision was the platform's.

After two and a half months of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform announced the case had continued long enough and summarily closed it. The host decided that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be providing a refund either. She proposed that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "transform the event into a beautiful story."

The platform eventually issued a complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after inquiries were raised about its health and safety policies.

Locked In

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to reserve a flat for a weekend stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were stuck inside the property for the majority of their only full day in the city after a security lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a repair person, who was unable to help," she states. "They eventually called a locksmith who attempted for several hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted up a wrench and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we finally managed to extract it. It was discovered loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

We would have been at serious risk if there had been an emergency while we were locked in, yet the host blamed us for using the lock

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to make up for her ruined trip and the anxiety. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but withheld her €250 deposit to pay for the new lock. The deposit was finally returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was owed the €446 rental cost.

Another platform customer, Philip, was trapped outside the London flat he reserved for £70 when, upon attempting to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners told him they were abroad and could not help and advised him to locate somewhere else for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months trying in vain to get this refunded.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he says. "I can't comprehend how a business can function this way with no responsibility. The additional frustration is that the property in question is continues being advertised on the platform."

The platform reimbursed both customers after intervention. The company confirmed the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had not responded to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Systems

Ratings do not always reveal the whole story. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is easy for users to miss a recent deluge of reviews cautioning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform countered that customers could readily organize reviews by the most recent or lowest score so as to make their own decision on a property.

The same report claimed that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not removed. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to follow its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was current.

Legal Uncertainty

The problem for travelers who do not get what they expected is that their contract is with the accommodation provider rather than the booking platform.

Major platforms promise to help find alternative accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a disrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both typically rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms essentially police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," analysts say. "But who against? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take court proceedings in their country."

They add: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint properly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are registered overseas and have deep pockets."

Regulatory bodies say new consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases advertised or made on their platforms.

A representative states: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have implemented tough new fines for violations of consumer law to protect people's funds."

They added: "Companies selling services to local consumers must follow national law, and we have strengthened regulatory authorities' powers to make sure they face severe penalties if they do not."