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One century-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a vacation. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the massive tree destroyed 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 damaged the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would collapse," James recalls. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

If it had come down moments earlier we would have been seriously injured or killed

Urgent repairs took 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the shaken couple feared the building might be unsafe 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 closing the unresolved case with a cheerful "Stay safe. Stay healthy."

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident was you heard a loud noise and observed a tree resting on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to focus on the worry and trauma rather than celebrating a unique memory."

Summer Travel Problems Surface

With the peak travel period has ended, countless travel nightmare accounts are emerging.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their accommodation – if it was real – or abandoned at night in strange cities when it did not. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these ruined holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that refused refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has led to a rise in travelers organizing their own holidays. These platforms display global property listings on their platforms and guarantee to satisfy travel dreams on a budget.

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

Legal Loopholes

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

Some platforms promote additional protections, but your contract is with the individual or company providing 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 spending twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are liable for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to reimburse customers for serious problems, the company stated it was up to the host to agree 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 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 suggested that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "turn the event into a beautiful story."

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

Locked In

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to reserve a flat for a weekend 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 malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was unable to help," she states. "They eventually sent a locksmith who tried for several hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted up a wrench and pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to extract it. It turned out unfastened bolts 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 trapped, yet the host blamed us for using the lock

Pocock asked for 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 withheld her €250 deposit to pay for the new lock. The deposit was finally returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was due the €446 rental cost.

Another platform customer, Philip, was locked out the London flat he booked for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners told him they were overseas and could not help and advised him to find somewhere else for the night. He spent 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 states. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no accountability. The additional 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 locked Philip out of his rental had failed to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Systems

Ratings do not always tell the complete picture. A recent consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing 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 readily organize 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 taken down. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was current.

Legal Uncertainty

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 promise 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 what's fair.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," experts say. "But against whom? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take legal action in their country."

They add: "One might claim that the online marketplace didn't manage to look into your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are registered overseas and have significant financial resources."

Government authorities say recent consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases promoted or made on their platforms.

A spokesperson says: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have implemented tough new fines for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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