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One century-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a holiday. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the enormous tree smashed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

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

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

Emergency repairs took a full day after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the shaken couple worried the building might be structurally unsound and chose to book a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have created some disruption," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the pending case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Be well."

The host also showed little concern. "The only incident was you experienced a loud sound and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to remember the anxiety and distress rather than cherishing a unique memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Surface

Now that the peak travel period 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. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor connects these spoiled holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has prompted a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies display worldwide property portfolios on their websites and promise to satisfy travel dreams on a budget.

Customer safeguards, though, have not caught up with their popularity.

Regulatory Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who book accommodation through online booking services find themselves dependent on their host's cooperation.

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 too unsafe to return, found themselves spending double the amount for a hotel. They still await notification about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for serious problems, the company stated it was up to the host to approve 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 declared the case had dragged on long enough and abruptly ended 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 "turn the event into a beautiful story."

The platform finally issued a full refund 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 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 security lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she states. "Finally they sent a locksmith who attempted for several 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 wrench and pliers. 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 loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

We would have been at grave danger if there had been an crisis while we were trapped, yet the host blamed us for using the lock

Pocock requested a full refund to compensate her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to cover the replacement 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 lockbox empty. The owners informed him they were overseas 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 intervening four months trying unsuccessfully to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner won't reply to them there's little they can do," he states. "I can't comprehend how a business can function this way with no responsibility. The extra disappointment is that the property in question is still being listed on the platform."

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

Review Processes

Reviews do not always reveal the whole story. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying reviews it considered "relevant." 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 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 claimed that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not taken down. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was current.

Regulatory Grey Area

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

Major platforms commit to help find other accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a interrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both typically rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms effectively police themselves, the only course of action 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 court proceedings in their country."

They add: "One might claim that the online marketplace didn't manage to look into 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 consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases promoted or made on their platforms.

A representative says: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force tough new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to protect people's money."

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