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One 100-year-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 enormous tree destroyed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that shattered the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

If it had come down moments earlier we would have been seriously injured or fatally wounded

Urgent repairs took a full day after the host winched 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 understand this may have created some disruption," wrote the first of many similar automated messages before concluding 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 resting on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to focus on the worry and distress instead of cherishing a unique memory."

Summer Vacation Problems Surface

With the peak travel period has concluded, numerous holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their rental – if it was real – or left stranded at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One common factor connects these spoiled holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has prompted a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies showcase global property portfolios on their platforms and guarantee to satisfy wanderlust on a limited funds.

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

Legal Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through online booking services find themselves dependent on their host's willingness to help.

Some platforms promote 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 French cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, ended up paying double the amount for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to reimburse customers for major issues, the company declared it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host claimed the determination was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared 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 offering a refund either. She proposed that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "turn the event into a beautiful story."

The platform eventually issued a complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after questions 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 only full day in the city after a security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"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 purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted up a wrench and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to extract it. It was discovered unfastened bolts had jammed the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

We would have been at grave danger if there had been an emergency while we were locked in, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock asked for a complete reimbursement to compensate 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 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 told him they were overseas and could not help and advised him to locate somewhere else for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months attempting in vain to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner won't reply to them there's nothing they can do," he states. "I don't understand how a business can operate this way with no accountability. The additional frustration is that the property in question is continues being advertised on the platform."

The platform refunded both customers after involvement. The company verified the host who had left Philip out of his rental had failed to its inquiries. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Systems

Reviews do not always reveal the whole story. A recent consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to overlook a recent deluge of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could readily sort reviews by the newest or worst ratings 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 taken down. The platform responded that it depended on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Regulatory Grey Area

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

Major platforms commit to help find other accommodation in an emergency, but getting compensation for a disrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms effectively police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute continues is legal action," 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 add: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are based abroad and have deep pockets."

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

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

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