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One century-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a vacation. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the massive tree smashed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that broke the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "Had it fallen minutes earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

If it had 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 feared the building might be unsafe and decided to book a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We recognize this may have caused some inconvenience," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed little concern. "The only incident was you heard a loud noise and saw a tree resting on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the worry and distress rather than celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Travel Problems Surface

With the peak travel period has concluded, numerous holiday horror stories are emerging.

Unfortunate travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their accommodation – when it existed – or abandoned at night in strange cities when it did not. Stories include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element unites these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The growth of booking websites has prompted a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies showcase global property portfolios on their platforms and guarantee to satisfy travel dreams on a limited funds.

Consumer protections, though, have not caught up with their widespread use.

Regulatory 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 dependent on their host's cooperation.

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

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, ended up spending twice that for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are responsible for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to reimburse customers for serious problems, the company stated it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host claimed the determination was the platform's.

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

The platform eventually issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after inquiries were raised about its 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 only full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she states. "Finally they called a locksmith who attempted for several hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we hoisted up a wrench and tools. With us levering 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 nearly 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 full refund to make up for her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to cover the replacement lock. The deposit was eventually returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was due 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 told him they were abroad and could not help and advised him to locate somewhere else for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting in vain to get this refunded.

"The platform has basically 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 operate 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 failed to its inquiries. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Systems

Ratings do not always tell the whole story. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a current deluge 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 worst ratings so as to make their own choice on a property.

The same report claimed that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not removed. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that availability was up to date.

Legal Grey Area

The problem for travelers who do not get what they expected is that their contract is with the accommodation provider rather than the booking platform.

Major platforms promise to help find alternative accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a disrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Because online platforms effectively self-regulate, 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 legal action in their country."

They continue: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are registered overseas and have significant financial resources."

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

A spokesperson states: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force tough new financial penalties for breaches of consumer law to safeguard people's funds."

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