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One 100-year-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a vacation. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting 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 engulfed by branches that shattered the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "Had it fallen minutes earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

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

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

The booking platform showed little concern. "We recognize this may have created some disruption," stated 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. "The only incident was you experienced a loud sound and observed a tree resting on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to focus on the anxiety and trauma instead of celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Surface

Now that the summer season has concluded, countless holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their rental – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element unites these ruined holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that refused refunds.

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

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

Regulatory Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters under travel protection 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 agreement is with the person or company providing the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, ended up spending double the amount for a hotel. They have yet to receive notification about whether they are liable for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to refund customers for serious problems, the company stated it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host insisted the determination was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform announced the case had dragged on 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 proposed that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "turn the event into a positive story."

The platform eventually issued a complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after inquiries 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 stuck inside the property for the majority of their single full day in the city after a security lock on the front door failed.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was could not to help," she says. "Finally they sent a locksmith who attempted for several hours to access 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 banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove 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 crisis while we were trapped, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock requested a full refund to compensate her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to cover the new lock. The deposit was finally 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 lockbox empty. The owners informed him they were abroad and could not help and suggested him to find somewhere else for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months trying unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can operate this way with no accountability. 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 verified the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had failed to its questions. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Review Processes

Ratings do not always reveal the complete picture. A recent 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 warning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform countered that customers could easily organize reviews by the most recent or worst ratings so as to make their own choice on a property.

The same report stated that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not removed. The platform responded that it depended on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was current.

Legal Uncertainty

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

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms essentially police themselves, the only option if the dispute continues is lawsuits," 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 add: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are based 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 representative says: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have implemented strict new financial penalties for breaches of consumer law to protect people's money."

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