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One 100-year-old oak tree toppled over on the initial day of a vacation. Moments 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 vacation home in Provence, France was covered 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 killed."

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

Urgent repairs took 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the shaken couple worried the building might be structurally unsound and decided to book a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

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

The host also showed little concern. "The only incident was you heard a loud noise and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the worry and distress instead of cherishing a special memory."

Summer Vacation Issues Emerge

With the peak travel period has concluded, countless holiday horror stories are emerging.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their accommodation – if it was real – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Stories include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor unites these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has led to a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies display global property portfolios on their websites and guarantee to fulfill travel dreams on a limited funds.

Customer safeguards, though, have not kept pace with their popularity.

Legal Loopholes

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who book accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

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

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves paying twice that for a hotel. They still await notification about whether they are liable for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for major issues, the company declared it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host claimed the determination was the platform's.

After two and a half months of similar 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 safety lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a maintenance man, who was unable to help," she states. "They eventually called 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 lifted up a wrench and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we finally managed to extract it. It was discovered loose screws had jammed the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

We would have been at serious risk if there had been an emergency while we were trapped, yet the host blamed us for using the lock

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to compensate her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the decision of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to pay for 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 trying to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners told him they were overseas and could not help and advised him to find alternative accommodation for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's little 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 still being advertised on the platform."

The platform refunded both customers after involvement. The company confirmed the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had failed to its inquiries. 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 Processes

Ratings do not always tell the whole story. A recent investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is easy for users to miss a recent flood 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 decision 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 follow its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was current.

Legal Uncertainty

The problem 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 commit to help find alternative accommodation in an crisis, but getting payment for a interrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

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

They continue: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are registered overseas and have deep pockets."

Government authorities say recent customer safety 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 tough new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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