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One century-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 enormous tree smashed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was engulfed 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 minutes earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

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

Emergency repairs took a full day after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the shaken couple worried the building might be structurally unsound and chose to reserve a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

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

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened 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 focus on the anxiety and trauma rather than celebrating a unique memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Surface

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

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

The expansion of booking websites has led to a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies display worldwide property listings on their websites and guarantee to satisfy travel dreams on a budget.

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

Legal Gaps

All-inclusive 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 cooperation.

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

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves spending double the amount for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are liable for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for serious problems, the company stated it was up to the host to approve 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 declared 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 beautiful story."

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

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was could not to help," she says. "Finally they sent a locksmith who attempted for multiple hours to access 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 tools. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to remove it. It turned out loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

We would have been at grave danger if there had been an emergency while we were locked in, yet the host faulted 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 declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to pay for the replacement 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 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 intervening four months attempting unsuccessfully to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he states. "I can't comprehend how a business can function this way with no responsibility. 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 not responded to its inquiries. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Systems

Reviews do not always reveal the whole story. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a current flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded 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 stated that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not removed. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was up to date.

Regulatory Uncertainty

The issue 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 emergency, but getting payment for a interrupted 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 isn't resolved 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 continue: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are registered abroad and have significant financial resources."

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

A spokesperson states: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force strict new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to protect people's money."

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