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A century-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a vacation. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the enormous tree destroyed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

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

If it had come down moments earlier we would have been seriously injured or fatally wounded

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

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We recognize this may have caused some inconvenience," stated the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the pending case with a cheerful "Stay safe. Be well."

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 decided to focus on the anxiety and trauma instead of cherishing a special memory."

Summer Vacation Problems Surface

With the summer season has concluded, numerous travel nightmare accounts are emerging.

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

The growth of booking websites has prompted a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies display worldwide property portfolios on their platforms and guarantee to satisfy wanderlust on a limited funds.

Consumer protections, however, have not kept pace with their popularity.

Legal Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal options for holiday disasters under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through online booking services find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms advertise additional protections, but your contract is with the individual or company offering 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 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 protection pledge to reimburse customers for major issues, the company declared it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host insisted the decision 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 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 celebrate their survival and "turn the event into a positive story."

The platform finally issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after questions were raised about its health and 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 left trapped the property for the majority of their only full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was could not to help," she says. "Finally they 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 hoisted up a tool and tools. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It turned out unfastened bolts had blocked the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

We would have been at grave danger 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 spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, but kept her €250 deposit to cover the replacement lock. The deposit was eventually returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was owed 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 told him they were abroad and could not help and suggested him to locate somewhere else for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months trying unsuccessfully to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner won't reply to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no responsibility. The extra disappointment is that the property in question is continues being listed on the platform."

The platform reimbursed both customers after involvement. The company verified the host who had left Philip out of his rental had not responded to its questions. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Processes

Reviews do not always reveal the whole story. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to overlook a current flood of reviews warning that a listing is a fraud 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 stated that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not removed. The platform responded that it relied on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was current.

Regulatory Grey Area

The issue for travelers who do not get what they expected 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 the right thing.

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only option if the dispute continues is lawsuits," experts say. "But who against? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take court proceedings in their country."

They add: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint properly and try to sue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are registered overseas and have deep pockets."

Government authorities say new customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer transactions promoted or made on their platforms.

A spokesperson says: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force tough new fines for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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