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A century-old oak tree toppled over on the initial day of a holiday. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the enormous tree destroyed 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 cave in," James recalls. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

If it had fallen moments earlier we would have been critically hurt or killed

Urgent repairs took a full day after the host winched the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple feared the building might be structurally unsound and chose to reserve a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We recognize this may have caused some inconvenience," stated the first of many identical automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a cheerful "Stay safe. Be well."

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident was you heard a loud noise and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the anxiety and trauma instead of cherishing a unique memory."

Summer Travel Problems Emerge

With the peak travel period has ended, countless holiday horror stories are emerging.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their rental – if it was real – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it did not. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that declined refunds.

The expansion of rental platforms has prompted a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms display worldwide property portfolios on their websites and promise to fulfill wanderlust on a budget.

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

Legal Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters under consumer travel regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through online booking services find themselves dependent on their host's willingness to help.

Some platforms advertise 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, found themselves paying twice that for a hotel. They still await notification about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge 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 two and a half months of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared the case had dragged on long enough and summarily closed 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 commemorate their survival and "turn the event into a positive story."

The platform eventually issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after questions were raised about its health and 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 single full day in the city after a security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was could not to help," she says. "Finally they sent a locksmith who attempted for several hours to access 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 remove it. It turned out loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

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

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to make up for her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to cover the replacement 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 booked for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners informed him they were overseas and could not help and suggested him to locate 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 refunded.

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

The platform reimbursed both customers after involvement. The company verified the host who had left Philip out of his rental had not responded to its questions. 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 Systems

Reviews do not always tell the whole story. 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 overlook a current deluge of reviews cautioning that a listing is a fraud 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 stated that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not taken down. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that availability was current.

Legal Uncertainty

The problem for travelers who do not get what they expected is that their contract is with the accommodation provider rather than the booking platform.

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

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Because online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only option if the dispute continues is lawsuits," 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: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint properly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are registered overseas and have deep pockets."

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

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

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