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

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

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

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

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have caused some inconvenience," wrote the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you experienced a loud sound and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to focus on the anxiety and trauma instead of cherishing a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Emerge

With the summer season has concluded, countless holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their accommodation – if it was real – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor unites these ruined holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that declined refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has prompted a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies display worldwide property listings on their platforms and guarantee to fulfill travel dreams on a budget.

Customer safeguards, though, have not caught up with their widespread use.

Regulatory Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms advertise extra protections, but your agreement is with the individual or business providing the accommodation.

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

After 10 weeks of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared the case had continued 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 "transform the event into a positive story."

The platform finally issued a complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after inquiries 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 stuck inside the property for most of their only 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 threw up to our window and we lifted up a wrench and tools. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It turned out unfastened bolts had jammed the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

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

Pocock asked for a complete reimbursement to compensate her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to cover the new lock. The deposit was finally 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 booked 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 suggested him to find 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 refunded.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner won't reply to them there's little they can do," he states. "I don't understand how a business can operate this way with no accountability. 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 left Philip out of his rental had not responded to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Processes

Reviews do not always reveal the complete picture. A recent investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to overlook a current flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform countered that customers could readily 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 taken down. 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 crisis, but getting compensation for a interrupted 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. "Because online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only course of action if the dispute continues is legal action," experts 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 didn't manage to look into your complaint properly and try to sue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are based abroad and have deep pockets."

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

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

They added: "Businesses 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."