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

The vacation home in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that broke the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would collapse," James recalls. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

Had it come down moments earlier we would have been seriously injured or killed

Emergency repairs took a full day 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 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 concluding the pending case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Be well."

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident was you experienced a loud sound and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the worry and distress instead of celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Travel Issues Emerge

With the summer season has concluded, numerous travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or locked out their rental – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it did not. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor unites these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that refused refunds.

The expansion of rental platforms has led to a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies showcase worldwide property listings on their platforms and promise to satisfy travel dreams on a budget.

Customer safeguards, 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 third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's willingness to help.

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

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the French 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 responsible for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to reimburse customers for serious problems, the company declared it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host insisted the decision was the platform's.

After two and a half months 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 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 positive story."

The platform finally issued a full refund 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 stuck inside the property for the majority of their single full day in the city after a security lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a repair person, who was unable to help," she says. "They eventually 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 lifted up a tool and pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually 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 blamed us for using the lock

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to compensate her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the decision of the host. The host not only refused, but withheld her €250 deposit to pay for the replacement lock. The deposit was finally 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 attempting 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 alternative accommodation for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months trying in vain to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he states. "I can't comprehend 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 refunded both customers after intervention. 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 read guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Processes

Reviews do not always tell the whole story. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's default system was displaying reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a recent flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could readily sort reviews by the most recent or worst ratings so as to make their own choice on a property.

The same report stated that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not taken down. The platform responded that it relied on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Legal Grey Area

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

Major platforms promise to help find alternative accommodation in an emergency, but getting compensation for a interrupted stay is a tougher struggle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," analysts 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: "You could argue 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 abroad and have deep pockets."

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

A spokesperson says: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force tough new financial penalties for breaches of consumer law to safeguard people's funds."

They continued: "Companies selling services to domestic consumers must comply with national law, and we have bolstered oversight authorities' powers to make sure they face substantial penalties if they do not."