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A 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a vacation. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the enormous tree smashed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that broke the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

Had it fallen minutes earlier we would have been critically hurt or fatally wounded

Urgent repairs took 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple feared the building might be unsafe and chose to book a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We understand this may have created some inconvenience," stated the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Stay healthy."

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident was you heard a loud noise and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the anxiety and trauma rather than celebrating a unique memory."

Peak Season Travel Problems Emerge

With the peak travel period has ended, numerous travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unfortunate travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their accommodation – when it existed – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Stories include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor connects these ruined holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has led to a rise in travelers organizing their own holidays. These platforms display worldwide property listings on their websites and guarantee to satisfy travel dreams on a budget.

Customer safeguards, however, have not caught up with their popularity.

Regulatory Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's willingness to help.

Some platforms promote extra protections, but your contract is with the person or company providing the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves spending twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are liable for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to reimburse customers for major issues, the company stated 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 similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform announced the case had dragged on long enough and summarily closed it. The host concluded that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be offering a refund either. She suggested that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "transform the event into a positive story."

The platform finally issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after questions were raised about its health and safety policies.

Trapped

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

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she states. "They eventually sent a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted up a tool 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 unfastened bolts had jammed the mechanism. By then it was nearly 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 full refund to compensate her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to cover the replacement 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 lockbox empty. The owners told him they were overseas and could not help and suggested him to find somewhere else for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

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

The platform refunded both customers after involvement. The company verified the host who had left Philip out of his rental had not responded to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Systems

Reviews do not always reveal the complete picture. A recent consumer report highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a current deluge of reviews warning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform responded that customers could readily sort reviews by the newest 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 responded that it relied on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was current.

Legal Grey Area

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

Major platforms promise to help find other accommodation in an emergency, but getting compensation for a disrupted stay is a tougher struggle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Because online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only option if the dispute continues is legal action," analysts say. "But against whom? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take court proceedings in their country."

They continue: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are registered abroad and have deep pockets."

Government authorities say recent customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer transactions advertised or made on their platforms.

A spokesperson says: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force tough new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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