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A 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the first day of a holiday. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the enormous tree smashed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was covered 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 moments earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

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

Urgent repairs took 24 hours after the host winched the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple worried the building might be structurally unsound and chose to reserve a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We recognize this may have created some inconvenience," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before closing the pending case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Be well."

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident was you heard a loud noise and saw a tree resting on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to remember the worry and trauma instead of cherishing a unique memory."

Peak Season Travel Issues Emerge

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

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their rental – when it existed – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element unites these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that refused refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has led to a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms showcase worldwide property portfolios on their platforms and guarantee to satisfy travel dreams on a budget.

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

Regulatory Loopholes

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

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

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves paying double the amount for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are responsible for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for serious problems, the company declared it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host claimed the decision was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform announced the case had continued long enough and abruptly ended 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 commemorate their survival and "transform the event into a positive 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 reserve 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 security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was unable to help," she states. "They eventually sent a locksmith who attempted for multiple hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he threw up to our window and we hoisted up a wrench and tools. 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 trapped, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock asked for a full refund to compensate her ruined trip and the anxiety. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to cover the replacement lock. The deposit was finally 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 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 suggested him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months attempting unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

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

The platform reimbursed both customers after involvement. The company confirmed the host who had left 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."

Review Processes

Ratings do not always reveal the complete picture. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to overlook a current deluge of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could easily 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 multiple times reported as scams were not taken down. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to follow its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was current.

Regulatory Uncertainty

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 emergency, but getting compensation for a disrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms essentially police themselves, 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 add: "One might claim that the online marketplace didn't manage to look into your complaint thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are registered overseas and have significant financial resources."

Government authorities say new consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer transactions promoted or made on their platforms.

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

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