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One century-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a holiday. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the enormous tree destroyed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was covered by branches that shattered the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would cave in," James recalls. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

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

Emergency repairs took a full day after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple feared the building might be unsafe and decided to reserve a hotel for the rest 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 unresolved case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you heard a loud noise and observed a tree resting on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the worry and trauma instead of cherishing a unique memory."

Peak Season 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 accommodation – if it was real – or abandoned at night in strange cities when it did not. Stories include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has prompted a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms display global property listings on their websites and guarantee to satisfy travel dreams on a limited funds.

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

Regulatory Gaps

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

Some platforms promote additional protections, but your contract is with the person or company offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, ended up 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 major issues, the company declared it was up to the host to agree 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 abruptly ended 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 eventually issued a complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after questions were raised about its safety policies.

Locked In

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 malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a maintenance man, who was could not 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 tool and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging 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 serious risk if there had been an crisis 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 refused, 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 trapped outside the London flat he reserved 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 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 trying 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 don't understand how a business can operate this way with no responsibility. 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 verified the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had failed to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Rating Systems

Reviews do not always reveal the complete picture. A recent investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was displaying reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to overlook a recent deluge of reviews warning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform countered that customers could readily organize reviews by the newest or worst ratings 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 taken down. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that availability was current.

Regulatory Grey Area

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

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

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is legal action," 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 add: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are registered abroad and have deep pockets."

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

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