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A 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the first 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 vacation home in Provence, France was covered by branches that broke the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James recalls. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

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

Emergency repairs took a full day 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 rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have caused some disruption," stated the first of many similar automated messages before closing the pending case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

The host displayed 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 rather than celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Emerge

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

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their accommodation – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Stories include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element unites these spoiled 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 companies showcase worldwide property listings on their websites and guarantee to satisfy wanderlust on a budget.

Customer safeguards, however, have not kept pace with their widespread use.

Legal Gaps

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

Some platforms promote extra protections, but your contract 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 spending twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge 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 similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared the case had continued long enough and summarily closed it. The host decided that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be offering a refund either. She proposed that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "turn the event into a beautiful story."

The platform finally issued a complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after inquiries were raised about its 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 most of their single full day in the city after a security lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a repair person, who was could not to help," she states. "They eventually called a locksmith who tried for several hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we hoisted up a wrench and tools. With us levering 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 jammed the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

We would have been at serious risk if there had been an emergency while we were trapped, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock requested a full refund to make up for her ruined trip and the stress. 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 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 booked for £70 when, upon trying to check in, he found the lockbox 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 intervening four months attempting 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 says. "I can't comprehend how a business can operate this way with no responsibility. The additional frustration is that the property in question is still being advertised on the platform."

The platform refunded both customers after involvement. The company confirmed the host who had left Philip out of his rental had failed to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Rating Systems

Ratings do not always tell the complete picture. 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 overlook a recent flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform countered that customers could easily organize reviews by the most recent or worst ratings so as to make their own decision on a property.

The same report stated that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not taken down. The platform responded that it depended on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Regulatory Grey Area

The issue for travelers who do not get what they expected 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 payment for a interrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only course of action 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 court proceedings in their country."

They add: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint properly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are based abroad and have deep pockets."

Regulatory bodies say new customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases advertised or made on their platforms.

A spokesperson says: "Authorities 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 national law, and we have bolstered oversight authorities' powers to make sure they face severe penalties if they do not."