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

The vacation home in Provence, France was covered by branches that broke the living room window and harmed 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 moments earlier we would have been critically hurt or killed

Emergency 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 understand this may have created some disruption," stated the first of many similar automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Be well."

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident was you heard a loud noise and saw a tree resting on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to focus on the worry and distress rather than celebrating a unique memory."

Peak Season Travel Issues Emerge

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

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or locked out their accommodation – when it existed – or left stranded at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element unites these spoiled holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has led to a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies display worldwide property listings on their websites and promise to satisfy wanderlust on a budget.

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

Legal Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal recourse 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 contract is with the person or company offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves paying double the amount for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for major issues, the company declared 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 announced the case had dragged on long enough and abruptly ended it. The host decided that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be offering a refund either. She proposed that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "transform the event into a positive story."

The platform eventually issued a complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after questions 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 most of their only full day in the city after a security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was unable to help," she states. "They eventually sent a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he threw up to our window and we lifted up a tool and pliers. 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 blocked 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 faulted us for using the lock

Pocock requested a full refund to make up for her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to cover the new lock. The deposit was eventually 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 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 find 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 basically said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he says. "I can't comprehend how a business can function this way with no responsibility. The extra frustration is that the property in question is continues being listed on the platform."

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

Rating Processes

Ratings 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 miss a current deluge of reviews warning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could readily organize reviews by the most recent or worst ratings 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 depended on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that booking information was current.

Legal Uncertainty

The issue for travelers who do not get what they expected is that their legal agreement is with the accommodation provider not the booking platform.

Major platforms commit to help find alternative accommodation in an crisis, but getting compensation for a disrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved 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 continue: "One might claim that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. 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 advertised or made on their platforms.

A spokesperson states: "Authorities 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: "Businesses selling services to local consumers must follow national law, and we have bolstered oversight authorities' powers to make sure they face substantial penalties if they do not."