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One century-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a vacation. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the massive tree destroyed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was covered by branches that shattered the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "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 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple feared the building might be unsafe and chose to reserve a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have caused some inconvenience," wrote the first of many similar automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Be well."

The host displayed 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 distress instead of cherishing a unique memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Surface

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

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their accommodation – if it was real – or abandoned at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and unauthorized sublets. One common factor connects these spoiled holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The growth of booking websites has prompted a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies display worldwide property portfolios on their platforms and promise to satisfy wanderlust on a budget.

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

Regulatory Gaps

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

Some platforms advertise extra protections, but your contract is with the person or company providing the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves spending twice that for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to reimburse customers for serious problems, the company stated it was up to the host to agree 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 declared the case had continued 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 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 safety policies.

Trapped

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 the majority of their single full day in the city after a security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host sent a repair person, who was unable to help," she says. "They eventually called a locksmith who attempted for multiple hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he threw up to our window and we hoisted 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 extract it. It turned out unfastened bolts had jammed the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

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

Pocock requested a full refund to make up for her spoiled trip and the anxiety. The booking platform indicated this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to pay for the new 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 lockbox empty. The owners informed him they were overseas 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 in vain to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially 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 operate this way with no responsibility. The extra frustration is that the property in question is continues being listed on the platform."

The platform refunded both customers after intervention. The company verified the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had not responded to its inquiries. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Review Systems

Reviews do not always reveal the whole story. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was displaying reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to miss a recent deluge of reviews warning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform countered that customers could readily sort reviews by the newest or worst ratings 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 answered that it depended on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that availability was current.

Legal 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 promise to help find alternative accommodation in an crisis, but getting payment for a disrupted stay is a tougher struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms effectively police themselves, the only course of action 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 thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are based abroad and have deep pockets."

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

A representative states: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have implemented tough new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to protect people's money."

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