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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 eating breakfast on the terrace, the massive tree destroyed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that broke the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

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

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

The booking platform showed little concern. "We recognize this may have caused some disruption," stated the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed little concern. "The only incident was you heard a loud noise and observed a tree resting on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the anxiety and distress rather than cherishing a unique memory."

Summer Vacation Issues Emerge

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

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

The expansion of booking websites has prompted a rise in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies showcase worldwide property listings on their platforms and guarantee to satisfy wanderlust on a limited funds.

Consumer protections, however, have not kept pace with their popularity.

Legal Gaps

Package-deal 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 advertise additional protections, but your contract is with the individual or business offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, ended up paying twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive notification about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for serious problems, the company stated it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host insisted the determination was the platform's.

After two and a half months 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 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 full refund along with a £500 voucher after inquiries were raised about its health and safety policies.

Locked In

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to reserve a flat for a weekend stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were left trapped the property for most of their only full day in the city after a security lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she states. "Finally they sent a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he threw up to our window and we hoisted up a tool and pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we finally managed to remove it. It turned out loose screws 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 full refund to compensate her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to cover the replacement lock. The deposit was eventually returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was owed 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 informed him they were abroad and could not help and advised him to locate somewhere else for the night. He paid 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 isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he states. "I can't comprehend how a business can function this way with no accountability. The extra frustration is that the property in question is continues being listed on the platform."

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

Rating Processes

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

The platform countered that customers could readily organize reviews by the most recent or lowest score so as to make their own choice on a property.

The same report claimed that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not removed. The platform responded that it depended on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that availability was current.

Regulatory Grey Area

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

Major platforms commit to help find other accommodation in an crisis, but getting compensation for a disrupted stay is a more difficult battle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only option if the dispute continues is lawsuits," analysts say. "But against whom? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take court proceedings in their country."

They add: "One might claim 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 companies 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 purchases promoted or made on their platforms.

A spokesperson states: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have implemented strict new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to protect people's money."

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