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A century-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a vacation. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the enormous tree destroyed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

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

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

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

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We recognize this may have caused some disruption," stated the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Stay healthy."

The host displayed little concern. "All that happened was you heard a loud noise and observed a tree resting on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to remember the anxiety and trauma instead of cherishing a unique memory."

Peak Season Travel Issues Emerge

Now that the peak travel period has concluded, countless travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their accommodation – if it was real – or left stranded at night in unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Stories include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element unites these spoiled holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has prompted a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These platforms showcase worldwide property listings on their websites and promise to satisfy travel dreams on a limited funds.

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

Legal Loopholes

All-inclusive customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under consumer travel regulations, but those who book accommodation through online booking services find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

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

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves paying twice that for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for major issues, the company stated it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host insisted 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 continued 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 proposed that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "transform the event into a beautiful story."

The platform eventually 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 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 dispatched a repair person, who was could not to help," she states. "They eventually called a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we hoisted up a tool and tools. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to extract it. It was discovered loose screws had jammed the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

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

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to make up for her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only declined, but kept her €250 deposit to cover the replacement lock. The deposit was eventually returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was due 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 advised him to find alternative accommodation for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months attempting in vain to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner won't reply to them there's little they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no responsibility. The additional disappointment is that the property in question is still being advertised on the platform."

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

Review Systems

Reviews do not always tell the complete picture. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying 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 scam or not available.

The platform countered that customers could readily organize reviews by the newest or worst ratings so as to make their own decision on a property.

The same report stated that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not removed. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Regulatory Uncertainty

The issue 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 commit to help find other accommodation in an emergency, but getting compensation for a interrupted stay is a tougher struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Because online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only course of action if the dispute continues is legal action," 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: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are based abroad and have significant financial resources."

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

A spokesperson says: "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: "Businesses selling services to domestic consumers must follow local law, and we have strengthened regulatory authorities' powers to make sure they face substantial penalties if they do not."