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One 100-year-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 destroyed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was covered by branches that shattered the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James recalls. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

Had it fallen moments 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 unsafe and chose to reserve a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We recognize this may have caused some inconvenience," wrote the first of many similar automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed 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 decided to remember the anxiety and trauma instead of celebrating a unique memory."

Peak Season Travel Issues Surface

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

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or locked out their accommodation – when it existed – or abandoned at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Stories include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor connects these spoiled holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that declined refunds.

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

Consumer protections, however, have not caught up with their widespread use.

Regulatory Loopholes

All-inclusive customers have legal options for holiday disasters 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 advertise extra protections, but your agreement is with the person or business providing the accommodation.

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves spending twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to reimburse customers for major issues, the company declared it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host insisted the determination was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared 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 providing a refund either. She suggested that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "turn the event into a positive story."

The platform finally 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 book a flat for a weekend 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 failed.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was unable to help," she says. "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 wrench 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 turned out loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

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

Pocock asked for a complete reimbursement to make up for her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to pay for the new 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 booked for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners informed him they were abroad and could not help and advised him to locate somewhere else for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months trying in vain to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has basically 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 additional disappointment is that the property in question is still being listed on the platform."

The platform refunded both customers after involvement. The company confirmed 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 read 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 simple for users to miss a recent flood 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 lowest score so as to make their own choice 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 depended on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that availability was up to date.

Regulatory Grey Area

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

Major platforms promise to help find alternative accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a disrupted stay is a more difficult battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only option if the dispute continues is lawsuits," experts 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: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint properly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are registered overseas and have significant financial resources."

Government authorities say new customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases advertised or made on their platforms.

A spokesperson says: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have implemented strict new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's funds."

They added: "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."