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A century-old oak tree crashed down 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 collapse," James recalls. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

If it had come down minutes 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 shaken couple feared the building might be structurally unsound and decided to book a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We recognize this may have created some disruption," wrote the first of many similar automated messages before closing the pending case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Be well."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you heard a loud noise and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the worry and distress rather than cherishing a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Surface

Now that the summer season has concluded, numerous holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their rental – when it existed – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element unites these ruined holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has prompted a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms display worldwide property portfolios on their platforms and promise to fulfill travel dreams on a limited funds.

Consumer protections, though, have not caught up with their popularity.

Legal Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal options for holiday disasters under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves reliant on their host's willingness to help.

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

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves spending double the amount for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are liable for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to refund customers for serious problems, the company stated 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 announced the case had continued 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 positive story."

The platform finally issued a complete reimbursement 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 left trapped the property for most of their single full day in the city after a security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was unable to help," she says. "They eventually sent a locksmith who attempted for several hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he threw up to our window and we hoisted up a wrench and tools. 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 crisis while we were locked in, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to make up for her spoiled trip and the anxiety. The booking platform indicated this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only declined, but kept 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 locked out the London flat he reserved for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners told him they were overseas and could not help and advised him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months attempting unsuccessfully to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I don't understand 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 refunded both customers after intervention. The company verified the host who had left Philip out of his rental had not responded to its questions. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Systems

Ratings do not always reveal the complete picture. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to miss a recent flood of reviews warning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded 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 removed. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to follow its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was current.

Legal Uncertainty

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

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

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms effectively police themselves, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," analysts say. "But who against? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take legal action in their country."

They add: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to look into your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are based overseas and have significant financial resources."

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: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have implemented strict new fines for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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