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A 100-year-old oak tree toppled over on the initial day of a holiday. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the massive tree smashed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage 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. "Had it fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or killed."

Had it fallen moments earlier we would have been critically hurt or fatally wounded

Urgent repairs took a full day after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple worried the building might be unsafe and chose to reserve a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We understand this may have created some inconvenience," stated the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Stay healthy."

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 distress instead of cherishing a unique memory."

Summer Travel Problems Surface

With the summer season has concluded, countless holiday horror stories are emerging.

Unfortunate travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their accommodation – if it was real – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it did not. Stories include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element unites these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The growth of booking websites has led to a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms showcase worldwide property listings on their platforms and promise to fulfill travel dreams on a budget.

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

Legal Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal recourse for holiday nightmares under consumer travel regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through online booking services find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

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

James and Andrew had spent £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 still await information about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for major issues, the company stated it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host claimed the determination was the platform's.

After 10 weeks 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 "transform the event into a beautiful story."

The platform finally issued a full refund 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 two-night stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were stuck inside 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 maintenance man, who was unable to help," she states. "They eventually called a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to access 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 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 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 discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to cover the new lock. The deposit was eventually 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 informed him they were abroad and could not help and advised him to find alternative accommodation for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting in vain to get this refunded.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner won't reply to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no responsibility. The additional frustration is that the property in question is still being listed on the platform."

The platform refunded 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 delisted, 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 investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was displaying reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to miss a current flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform responded that customers could easily organize reviews by the newest or lowest score so as to make their own choice on a property.

The same report claimed that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not removed. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Regulatory Uncertainty

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

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

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only option if the dispute continues is lawsuits," experts 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: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are registered overseas and have significant financial resources."

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 spokesperson says: "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 domestic consumers must follow local law, and we have bolstered oversight authorities' powers to make sure they face substantial penalties if they do not."