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One 100-year-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a holiday. 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 vacation home in Provence, France was covered by branches that shattered the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James recalls. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

Had it come down moments earlier we would have been seriously injured or killed

Urgent 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 decided to reserve a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

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

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident was you experienced a loud sound and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the anxiety and trauma instead of celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Emerge

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

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or locked out their rental – if it was real – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it did not. Stories include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor unites these ruined holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that refused refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has led to a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These platforms display global property listings on their platforms and promise to fulfill travel dreams on a budget.

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

Regulatory Loopholes

All-inclusive customers have legal options for holiday disasters under consumer travel regulations, but those who book accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves reliant on their host's willingness to help.

Some platforms advertise additional protections, but your agreement 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 damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to refund customers for major issues, the company stated it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host claimed the determination was the platform's.

After two and a half months 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 commemorate their survival and "transform the event into a positive story."

The platform finally issued a complete reimbursement 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 only full day in the city after a security lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was unable to help," she states. "Finally they called a locksmith who attempted for several hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we hoisted up a tool and tools. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It was discovered unfastened bolts had jammed the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

We would have been at grave danger 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 compensate her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision 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 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 informed him they were abroad and could not help and suggested him to find somewhere else for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months trying in vain to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner won't reply 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 extra frustration is that the property in question is still being advertised on the platform."

The platform reimbursed both customers after involvement. The company confirmed the host who had left Philip out of his rental had failed to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Rating Processes

Ratings do not always reveal the whole story. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup 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 fraud or not available.

The platform countered that customers could readily sort reviews by the most recent or lowest score so as to make their own choice on a property.

The same report stated that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not taken down. The platform responded that it depended on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that availability was current.

Legal Uncertainty

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

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only option 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 legal action in their country."

They continue: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint properly and try to sue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are based abroad and have significant financial resources."

Regulatory bodies say recent consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases advertised 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 safeguard people's money."

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