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A century-old oak tree crashed down on the first 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 crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was covered by branches that shattered the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

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

Emergency repairs took 24 hours after the host winched the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple worried the building might be structurally unsound and chose to book a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We understand this may have caused some inconvenience," stated the first of many identical automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Be well."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened 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 remember the worry and distress rather than celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Surface

With the peak travel period has ended, countless 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 did not. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element unites these ruined holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has prompted a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies display worldwide property portfolios on their platforms and guarantee to satisfy travel dreams on a limited funds.

Consumer protections, though, have not caught up with their popularity.

Regulatory Gaps

Package-deal customers have legal recourse for holiday nightmares under consumer travel regulations, but those who book accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's willingness to help.

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

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, ended up paying twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are liable for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to refund customers for serious problems, the company declared it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host claimed the determination was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of similar 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 proposed that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "turn the event into a positive story."

The platform finally issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after inquiries were raised about its safety policies.

Locked In

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

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was unable to help," she states. "Finally they called a locksmith who attempted for multiple hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted up a tool and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we finally managed to remove it. It turned out unfastened bolts had blocked the mechanism. By then it was nearly 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 asked for a complete reimbursement to compensate her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to cover 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 reserved for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners informed him they were overseas 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 intervening four months trying unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner won't reply to them there's nothing they can do," he states. "I can't comprehend how a business can operate this way with no responsibility. The extra frustration is that the property in question is continues being advertised on the platform."

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

Review Processes

Ratings do not always tell the whole story. A recent consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to overlook a recent deluge of reviews warning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform countered that customers could easily sort reviews by the newest or lowest score 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 responded that it depended on hosts to follow its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was up to date.

Legal Uncertainty

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

Major platforms commit to help find alternative accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a interrupted stay is a more difficult battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Because online platforms essentially police themselves, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," analysts say. "But who against? 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 didn't manage to look into your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are registered overseas and have significant financial resources."

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

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

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