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One century-old oak tree toppled over on the initial day of a holiday. Moments 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 shattered the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

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

Urgent repairs took a full day after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the shaken couple feared the building might be unsafe and decided to reserve a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

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

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you experienced a loud sound and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to remember the worry and trauma rather than celebrating a special memory."

Summer Vacation Issues Surface

Now that the summer season has concluded, countless holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unfortunate travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their accommodation – if it was real – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Stories include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One common factor connects these spoiled 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 showcase worldwide property listings on their websites and promise to fulfill travel dreams on a budget.

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

Regulatory Gaps

Package-deal 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 advertise additional protections, but your agreement is with the person or business offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, ended up paying twice that for a hotel. They still await notification about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to refund customers for major issues, the company stated it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host claimed the decision was the platform's.

After two and a half months of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared 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 celebrate 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 safety policies.

Locked In

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

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was unable 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 lifted up a wrench and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It was discovered loose screws had jammed the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

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

Pocock requested a full refund to make up for her ruined trip and the anxiety. The booking platform said this was at the decision of the host. The host not only refused, but withheld her €250 deposit to pay for 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 booked for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners told him they were overseas and could not help and suggested him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months attempting unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he states. "I can't comprehend how a business can function this way with no responsibility. The additional disappointment is that the property in question is still 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 unscrupulous accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Rating Systems

Ratings do not always reveal the complete picture. A recent investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying reviews it considered "important." This means that it is easy for users to miss a current deluge of reviews warning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform responded 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 stated that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not removed. The platform responded that it relied on hosts to follow its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Regulatory 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 commit to help find other accommodation in an crisis, but getting payment for a disrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

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

They add: "One might claim that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are registered overseas and have deep pockets."

Regulatory bodies say new customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer transactions promoted or made on their platforms.

A representative says: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force strict new fines for violations of consumer law to protect people's funds."

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