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One 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a holiday. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the massive tree smashed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was covered by branches that shattered the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would collapse," James recalls. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

Had it come down moments earlier we would have been critically hurt or killed

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

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

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you experienced a loud sound and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to focus on the worry and trauma instead of cherishing a unique memory."

Summer Travel Issues Emerge

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

Unfortunate travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their rental – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it did not. Stories include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element unites these ruined holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The growth of booking websites has prompted a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies display global property listings on their websites and promise to satisfy wanderlust on a limited funds.

Consumer protections, though, have not kept pace with their widespread use.

Legal Gaps

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

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

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves paying twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive notification about whether they are liable for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to reimburse 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 announced the case had dragged on long enough and summarily closed it. The host concluded that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be providing 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 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 two-night stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were stuck inside the property for most 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 unable to help," she states. "Finally they sent a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted up a tool and pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract it. It turned out unfastened bolts had blocked the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

We would have been at serious risk if there had been an crisis while we were locked in, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock asked for a full refund to compensate her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but withheld 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 locked out the London flat he booked for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners informed him they were overseas and could not help and suggested him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening 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 little they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can operate this way with no responsibility. The extra disappointment 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 left Philip out of his rental had failed to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Processes

Ratings 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 overlook 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 newest 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 taken down. The platform responded that it depended on hosts to follow its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was current.

Regulatory Uncertainty

The problem for travelers who do not get what they paid for is that their legal agreement is with the accommodation provider not the booking platform.

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

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms essentially police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," analysts say. "But who against? 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 didn't manage to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are registered abroad and have significant financial resources."

Government authorities say recent customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer transactions advertised or made on their platforms.

A representative says: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have implemented tough new financial penalties for breaches of consumer law to safeguard people's funds."

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