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A century-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a holiday. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the massive tree destroyed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that shattered the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "Had it fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or killed."

Had it come down minutes earlier we would have been seriously injured or killed

Urgent repairs took a full day after the host winched the tree off the property, but the shaken couple worried the building might be structurally unsound 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 created some inconvenience," stated the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a upbeat "Keep 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 have chosen to focus on the worry and distress rather than cherishing a unique memory."

Summer Vacation Problems Emerge

Now that the summer season has concluded, countless travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or locked out their rental – if it was real – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Stories include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element connects these spoiled holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has prompted a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms display worldwide property listings on their platforms and guarantee to fulfill wanderlust on a budget.

Consumer protections, though, have not kept pace with their popularity.

Regulatory Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through online booking services find themselves reliant on their host's willingness to help.

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

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, ended up spending double the amount for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are responsible for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to refund customers for serious problems, the company stated it was up to the host to agree 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 continued long enough and abruptly ended 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 commemorate their survival and "turn the event into a positive story."

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

Trapped

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 the majority of their only full day in the city after a security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a maintenance man, who was unable to help," she states. "Finally they called a locksmith who tried for several hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted up a tool and tools. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It turned out unfastened bolts had jammed the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

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

Pocock asked for a full refund to compensate her spoiled 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 cover the replacement lock. The deposit was eventually returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was owed the €446 rental cost.

Another platform customer, Philip, was locked out 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 overseas and could not help and suggested him to locate somewhere else for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months trying in vain to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has basically 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 function this way with no accountability. The extra disappointment is that the property in question is continues being advertised on the platform."

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

Rating Processes

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

The platform responded that customers could easily sort reviews by the newest or worst ratings so as to make their own decision on a property.

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

Regulatory Uncertainty

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

Major platforms promise to help find alternative accommodation in an crisis, 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 greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since 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 legal action in their country."

They continue: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are registered abroad and have deep pockets."

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

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

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