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A century-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a vacation. Minutes 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 engulfed by branches that broke the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would collapse," James recalls. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or killed."

If it had come down minutes earlier we would have been critically hurt or killed

Urgent repairs took 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the shaken couple feared the building might be unsafe and chose to reserve 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 identical automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Stay healthy."

The host displayed little concern. "All that happened was you experienced a loud sound and observed a tree resting on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the anxiety and trauma rather than cherishing a unique memory."

Peak Season Travel Problems Surface

With the peak travel period has concluded, countless travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their accommodation – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it did not. Stories include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor connects these spoiled 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 showcase global property listings on their websites and promise to fulfill wanderlust on a limited funds.

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

Regulatory Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who book accommodation through online booking services find themselves dependent on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms promote extra protections, but your agreement 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 too unsafe to return, ended up paying double the amount for a hotel. They still await notification 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 approve 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 announced the case had continued long enough and summarily closed it. The host concluded that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be providing a refund either. She suggested that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "transform 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.

Locked In

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to book a flat for a two-night 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 security lock on the front door failed.

"The host dispatched a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she says. "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 lifted up a wrench 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 was discovered loose screws 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 asked for a complete reimbursement to compensate her ruined trip and the anxiety. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but kept 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 booked for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners told him they were abroad and could not help and suggested him to find alternative accommodation 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 reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he says. "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 listed on the platform."

The platform refunded 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 unscrupulous accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

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 "relevant." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a current deluge of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam 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 claimed that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not taken down. The platform responded that it relied on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was current.

Regulatory Uncertainty

The issue 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 promise to help find alternative accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a interrupted stay is a more difficult battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only option 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 continue: "One might claim that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are registered abroad and have deep pockets."

Government authorities say new customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases advertised or made on their platforms.

A representative 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 domestic consumers must comply with local law, and we have bolstered oversight authorities' powers to make sure they face substantial penalties if they do not."