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A 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a holiday. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast 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 shattered the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "Had it fallen minutes earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

If it had fallen minutes earlier we would have been critically hurt or killed

Emergency repairs took 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the shaken couple feared the building might be structurally unsound and decided to reserve a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We recognize this may have caused some inconvenience," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Be well."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you heard a loud noise and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the anxiety and trauma instead of cherishing a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Issues Emerge

Now that the peak travel period has concluded, numerous holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their accommodation – when it existed – or abandoned at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and unauthorized sublets. One common factor connects these spoiled holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that refused refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has led to a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms display global property listings on their platforms and promise to satisfy travel dreams on a budget.

Customer safeguards, though, have not kept pace with their popularity.

Regulatory Gaps

Package-deal customers have legal options for holiday disasters under travel protection regulations, but those who book accommodation through online booking services find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms advertise additional protections, but your contract is with the individual or business offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves paying double the amount for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are responsible for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to reimburse customers for serious problems, the company stated it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host claimed the determination 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 abruptly ended 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 eventually issued a complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after inquiries were raised about its safety policies.

Trapped

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to book a flat for a two-night stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were left trapped the property for the majority of their only full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was could not to help," she says. "Finally they called a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we hoisted up a wrench and tools. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract it. It was discovered loose screws had jammed the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

We would have been at grave danger if there had been an emergency while we were locked in, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock asked for a full refund to make up for her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to pay for the new lock. The deposit was finally returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was due the €446 rental cost.

Another platform customer, Philip, was locked out the London flat he booked for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners told him they were overseas and could not help and advised him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting unsuccessfully to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner won't reply to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no responsibility. The extra disappointment is that the property in question is continues being listed on the platform."

The platform refunded both customers after involvement. The company verified the host who had left Philip out of his rental had failed to its questions. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Rating Systems

Ratings do not always tell the complete picture. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to miss a recent flood of reviews warning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

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

The same report stated that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not taken down. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was up to date.

Regulatory Uncertainty

The issue 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 interrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms essentially police themselves, the only option if the dispute continues is lawsuits," analysts say. "But who against? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take legal action in their country."

They add: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are registered overseas 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 states: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force strict new fines for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

They continued: "Companies selling services to domestic consumers must comply with local law, and we have strengthened oversight authorities' powers to make sure they face substantial penalties if they do not."