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One 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a vacation. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting 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 certain the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

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

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

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have created some disruption," wrote the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the pending case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

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

Summer Travel Problems Surface

With the peak travel period has ended, countless travel nightmare accounts are emerging.

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 filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor connects 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 showcase global property portfolios on their websites and guarantee to satisfy travel dreams on a limited funds.

Customer safeguards, though, have not caught up with their popularity.

Regulatory Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters under consumer travel regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves reliant on their host's willingness to help.

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

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, ended up spending double the amount for a hotel. They have yet to receive notification about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to refund customers for major issues, the company declared it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host insisted the determination was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared the case had dragged on long enough and abruptly ended it. The host concluded that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be offering a refund either. She proposed that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "turn the event into a beautiful story."

The platform eventually 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 weekend stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were left trapped the property for most 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 unable to help," she states. "They eventually called a locksmith who tried for several 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 tool and tools. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract 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 stress. 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 new lock. The deposit was finally returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was due the €446 rental cost.

Another platform customer, Philip, was locked out the London flat he reserved for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners informed him they were overseas and could not help and advised 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 in vain to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I can't comprehend how a business can function this way with no responsibility. The additional frustration is that the property in question is continues 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 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 "the right fit."

Review Processes

Reviews do not always reveal the complete picture. A recent consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to miss a current flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform countered that customers could easily sort 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 multiple times reported as scams were not removed. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that booking information was current.

Regulatory 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 other accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a interrupted stay is a more difficult battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Because online platforms essentially police themselves, the only option 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 continue: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to look into your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are registered abroad and have deep pockets."

Regulatory bodies say recent customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases advertised 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 continued: "Companies selling services to domestic consumers must follow local law, and we have strengthened oversight authorities' powers to make sure they face substantial penalties if they do not."