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One century-old oak tree crashed down 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 damaged their rental car's windscreen.

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

Had it come down moments earlier we would have been critically hurt 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 structurally unsound and decided to book a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

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

The host displayed 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 remember the anxiety and distress rather than celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Travel Problems Emerge

With the summer season has ended, countless holiday horror stories are emerging.

Unfortunate travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their rental – if it was real – or left stranded at night in unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor unites these ruined holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services 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 websites and promise to satisfy wanderlust on a budget.

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

Regulatory Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under consumer travel regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's willingness to help.

Some platforms promote extra protections, but your agreement is with the individual or business providing the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves paying double the amount for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to reimburse customers for serious problems, the company stated it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host insisted the determination was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared 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 providing a refund either. She suggested that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "transform the event into a beautiful story."

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

"The host sent a repair person, who was unable to help," she states. "They eventually sent a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted up a wrench and tools. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It was discovered loose screws had jammed the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

We would have been at serious risk if there had been an emergency while we were locked in, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to make up for 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 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 booked 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 suggested him to find alternative accommodation for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months attempting in vain to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can operate this way with no accountability. The extra disappointment is that the property in question is still being listed on the platform."

The platform reimbursed both customers after involvement. The company verified the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had not responded to its questions. When asked why unscrupulous 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 tell the complete picture. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to miss a recent deluge of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded 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 multiple times reported as scams were not removed. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Legal Grey Area

The issue for travelers who do not get what they paid for is that their contract is with the accommodation provider not the booking platform.

Major platforms promise to help find other accommodation in an emergency, but getting compensation for a interrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Because online platforms effectively police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," analysts say. "But against whom? 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 legal uncertainty. Both firms are registered abroad and have deep pockets."

Regulatory bodies say recent customer safety 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 tough new financial penalties for breaches of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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