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A century-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a vacation. 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 covered by branches that broke the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

Had it fallen minutes earlier we would have been seriously injured or killed

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

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

The host displayed little concern. "All that happened 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 remember the anxiety and distress instead of cherishing a unique memory."

Summer Vacation Issues Surface

Now that the peak travel period has ended, numerous travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or locked out 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 common factor connects these ruined holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has led to a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies display global property listings on their platforms and promise to fulfill wanderlust on a budget.

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

Legal Gaps

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

Some platforms promote additional protections, but your agreement is with the individual or business providing the accommodation.

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves paying double the amount for a hotel. They still await notification about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for major issues, the company stated 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 abruptly ended it. The host decided that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be offering a refund either. She suggested that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "transform the event into a positive story."

The platform finally issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after questions were raised about its health and safety policies.

Trapped

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 single full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a repair person, who was could not to help," she states. "Finally they called a locksmith who attempted for multiple hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we hoisted up a wrench and pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to extract it. It was discovered loose screws had jammed 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 asked for a full refund to compensate her ruined trip and the anxiety. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only declined, 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 informed him they were overseas and could not help and advised 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 unsuccessfully to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner won't reply to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no accountability. The extra disappointment is that the property in question is continues being advertised on the platform."

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

Rating Systems

Ratings do not always tell the whole story. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to miss a recent deluge of reviews warning 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 decision on a property.

The same report claimed that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not taken down. The platform responded that it depended on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that availability was current.

Legal Uncertainty

The issue for travelers who do not get what they paid for is that their contract 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 interrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Because online platforms effectively police themselves, the only course of action 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 investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are registered overseas and have significant financial resources."

Government authorities say recent consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases advertised or made on their platforms.

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

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