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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 massive tree smashed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

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

If it had come down moments earlier we would have been critically hurt or fatally wounded

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

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have caused some inconvenience," wrote the first of many similar automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you experienced a loud sound and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the anxiety and trauma instead of celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Emerge

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

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or locked out their rental – if it was real – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element unites these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The growth of booking websites has prompted a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These platforms showcase worldwide property listings on their platforms and promise to fulfill wanderlust on a budget.

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

Legal Gaps

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

Some platforms advertise extra protections, but your contract is with the individual or company offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves paying double the amount for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to refund customers for major issues, the company stated it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host claimed the determination 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 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 "turn the event into a beautiful story."

The platform finally issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after inquiries 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 the majority of their only full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a repair person, who was unable to help," she says. "They eventually called a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we hoisted up a tool and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we finally managed to remove it. It turned out unfastened bolts had jammed the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

We would have been at serious risk if there had been an crisis while we were locked in, yet the host blamed us for using the lock

Pocock asked for a full refund to make up for her spoiled trip and the anxiety. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, 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 locked out 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 abroad and could not help and suggested him to locate somewhere else for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months trying unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

"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 function this way with no responsibility. The extra frustration is that the property in question is still being advertised on the platform."

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

Review Systems

Ratings do not always reveal the complete picture. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is easy for users to miss a recent deluge of reviews cautioning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform countered 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 stated 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 rules and ensure that availability was current.

Legal Grey Area

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 commit to help find alternative accommodation in an crisis, but getting payment for a disrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms effectively police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," 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: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are registered abroad and have significant financial resources."

Government authorities say new consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases 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 funds."

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