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One 100-year-old oak tree toppled over on the initial day of a vacation. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the enormous tree smashed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was covered by branches that broke the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "Had it fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

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

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

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We recognize this may have caused some inconvenience," wrote the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the pending case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you heard a loud noise and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to focus on the worry and distress rather than cherishing a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Emerge

With the summer season has concluded, countless holiday horror stories are emerging.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their accommodation – when it existed – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor unites these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The expansion of rental platforms has prompted a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms display global property listings on their platforms and promise to satisfy travel dreams on a budget.

Consumer protections, though, have not caught up with their widespread use.

Regulatory Loopholes

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters 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 company offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had spent £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 have yet to receive information 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 approve a refund; the host insisted the decision 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 "transform the event into a positive story."

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

Locked In

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to book a flat for a two-night 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 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 tool and pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to remove it. It turned out unfastened bolts 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 locked in, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock requested a full refund to compensate her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to cover the replacement 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 informed him they were abroad 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 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 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 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 read guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Rating Processes

Ratings do not always reveal the complete picture. A recent investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a current flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform countered that customers could readily organize reviews by the most recent or lowest score so as to make their own decision 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 booking information was current.

Regulatory Uncertainty

The issue 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 commit to help find other 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 industry needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Because online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is legal action," 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 continue: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to look into your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are registered abroad and have deep pockets."

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

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

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