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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 breakfasting on the terrace, the massive tree smashed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was covered by branches that shattered 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."

Had it come down minutes earlier we would have been critically hurt or fatally wounded

Urgent repairs took 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the shaken couple worried the building might be unsafe and chose to book a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We understand this may have caused some inconvenience," stated the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Be well."

The host also showed little concern. "The only incident was you experienced a loud sound and observed a tree resting on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the worry and distress instead of celebrating a unique memory."

Peak Season Vacation Issues Surface

Now that the summer season has ended, numerous holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their rental – if it was real – or left stranded at night in strange 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 growth of booking websites has led to a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These platforms showcase worldwide property portfolios on their websites and guarantee to satisfy wanderlust on a budget.

Consumer protections, however, have not caught up with their popularity.

Legal Gaps

Package-deal customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under consumer travel regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through online booking services find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

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

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves spending twice that 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 reimburse 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 identical 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 celebrate 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 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 the majority of their single full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a repair person, who was unable to help," she states. "Finally they called a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he threw up to our window and we hoisted up a wrench and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract it. It turned out loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was nearly 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 compensate her ruined trip and the anxiety. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to pay for the new lock. The deposit was finally 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 attempting 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 following four months trying unsuccessfully to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I can't comprehend how a business can operate this way with no accountability. The extra disappointment is that the property in question is continues being listed 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 consumer report highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to miss a current deluge 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 removed. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that availability was current.

Legal Grey Area

The issue 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 other accommodation in an crisis, but getting payment for a interrupted stay is a tougher struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only option if the dispute continues 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 add: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are registered overseas and have deep pockets."

Regulatory bodies say new consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases promoted or made on their platforms.

A representative says: "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 money."

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