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One century-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a holiday. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast 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 cave in," James remembers. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

If it had come down moments earlier we would have been critically hurt or fatally wounded

Urgent repairs took 24 hours after the host winched the tree off the property, but the shaken couple feared the building might be structurally unsound and chose to reserve a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

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

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you experienced a loud sound and saw a tree resting on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to focus on the anxiety and trauma instead of cherishing a unique memory."

Peak Season Vacation Issues Surface

Now that the peak travel period has ended, numerous holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unfortunate travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their rental – if it was real – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it did not. Stories include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor unites these ruined holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that declined refunds.

The growth of booking websites has prompted a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms display global property portfolios on their platforms and promise to satisfy wanderlust on a limited funds.

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

Legal Loopholes

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

Some platforms promote 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 French cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves paying double the amount for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are responsible for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to reimburse customers for major issues, the company declared it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host insisted the decision 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 "turn the event into a positive story."

The platform eventually issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after inquiries were raised about its health and safety policies.

Trapped

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 the majority of their only full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a repair person, who was could not to help," she says. "They eventually called a locksmith who attempted for several hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to buy 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 remove it. It was discovered unfastened bolts had blocked the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

We would have been at grave danger 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 spoiled trip and the anxiety. The booking platform indicated this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld 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 trying to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners told him they were abroad and could not help and advised him to locate 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 isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no responsibility. The extra frustration is that the property in question is continues being advertised on the platform."

The platform reimbursed both customers after involvement. The company verified the host who had left Philip out of his rental had not responded to its questions. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Rating Systems

Ratings do not always reveal the complete picture. A recent consumer report highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is easy for users to miss a recent flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could easily sort reviews by the most recent or worst ratings so as to make their own decision 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 relied on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that availability was up to date.

Legal Uncertainty

The problem for travelers who do not get what they paid for 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 crisis, but getting compensation for a interrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms effectively police themselves, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," 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 continue: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are based overseas and have deep pockets."

Government authorities say new customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases advertised or made on their platforms.

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

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