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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 destroyed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage 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 recalls. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

If it had come down minutes earlier we would have been critically hurt or killed

Emergency repairs took a full day after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple feared 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," stated the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the pending case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

The host displayed little concern. "All that happened 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 anxiety and distress rather than cherishing a special memory."

Peak Season Travel Issues Emerge

Now that the summer season has ended, numerous travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their accommodation – when it existed – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Stories include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One common factor unites these ruined holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that declined 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 websites and guarantee to fulfill travel dreams on a budget.

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

Regulatory Loopholes

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's cooperation.

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

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, ended up paying twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive notification about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for major issues, the company declared it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host claimed the determination was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform announced the case had continued long enough and abruptly ended 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 "turn the event into a beautiful story."

The platform finally issued a complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after questions were raised about its health and safety policies.

Locked In

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to book a flat for a weekend stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were left trapped the property for most of their only full day in the city after a security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was unable to help," she says. "They eventually called a locksmith who tried for several hours to access 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 prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It turned out loose screws had jammed the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

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

Pocock asked for a complete reimbursement to compensate her ruined trip and the anxiety. The booking platform said 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 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 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 following 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 responsibility. The extra frustration is that the property in question is still 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 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 "suitable for them."

Review Systems

Ratings do not always tell the whole story. A recent investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was displaying reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is easy for users to miss a current flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform responded that customers could easily sort reviews by the newest 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 follow its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Regulatory Uncertainty

The problem for travelers who do not get what they paid for is that their contract 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 interrupted stay is a more difficult battle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Because online platforms essentially police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute isn't resolved is legal action," experts say. "But against whom? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take court proceedings in their country."

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

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

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

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