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

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

Had it fallen moments earlier we would have been seriously injured or fatally wounded

Emergency repairs took 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple feared the building might be unsafe and decided to book a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We recognize this may have caused some disruption," 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 heard a loud noise and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the worry and trauma instead of celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Surface

Now that the peak travel period has ended, countless holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their rental – when it existed – or abandoned at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Stories include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these ruined holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has prompted a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These platforms showcase worldwide property listings on their platforms and guarantee to satisfy travel dreams on a budget.

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

Regulatory Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters under consumer travel regulations, but those who book accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's cooperation.

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

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, ended up paying twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are responsible for the broken 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 insisted the decision was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform announced the case had dragged on long enough and summarily closed it. The host decided 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 "transform the event into a beautiful story."

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

Trapped

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to reserve a flat for a weekend stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were left trapped the property for most of their single full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was unable to help," she says. "Finally they sent a locksmith who tried for several 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 wrench and tools. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to remove it. It was discovered loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

We would have been at grave danger 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 spoiled trip and the anxiety. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to pay for 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 attempting to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners informed him they were overseas and could not help and advised him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months trying unsuccessfully to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he states. "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 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

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

The platform countered that customers could easily organize reviews by the newest or worst ratings so as to make their own decision 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 terms and conditions and ensure that availability was up to date.

Legal Uncertainty

The issue 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 other accommodation in an emergency, but getting compensation for a disrupted stay is a tougher struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since 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 court proceedings in their country."

They continue: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are based overseas and have deep pockets."

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 representative states: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force strict new financial penalties for breaches of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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