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A century-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a holiday. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the enormous tree smashed 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 harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "Had it fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

Had it fallen moments earlier we would have been seriously injured or fatally wounded

Emergency repairs took a full day after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the traumatized 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 recognize this may have created some inconvenience," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident was you heard a loud noise and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the worry and distress instead of celebrating a unique memory."

Summer Travel Problems Surface

Now that the peak travel period has concluded, countless travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their accommodation – if it was real – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it did not. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has prompted 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 limited funds.

Customer safeguards, however, have not caught up with their widespread use.

Regulatory Gaps

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

Some platforms promote additional protections, but your agreement is with the individual 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, found themselves spending twice that for a hotel. They still await notification about whether they are liable for the broken 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 continued 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 complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after inquiries were raised about its safety policies.

Locked In

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to book 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 sent a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she states. "They eventually 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 prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract it. It was discovered loose screws 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 blamed us for using the lock

Pocock asked for a complete reimbursement to make up for her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision 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 trapped outside the London flat he reserved for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners informed him they were abroad and could not help and suggested 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 essentially said that as the owner won't reply to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I can't comprehend how a business can function this way with no accountability. The extra frustration is that the property in question is continues being advertised on the platform."

The platform refunded both customers after intervention. The company verified the host who had left Philip out of his rental had failed to its questions. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Systems

Reviews do not always reveal the whole story. A recent consumer report 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 flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform responded that customers could easily organize reviews by the most recent or worst ratings so as to make their own choice on a property.

The same report stated 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 terms and conditions 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 legal agreement is with the accommodation provider rather than the booking platform.

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

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only course of action if the dispute continues is legal action," 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 add: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are based abroad and have significant financial resources."

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

A representative states: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have implemented tough new fines for violations of consumer law to protect people's funds."

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