🔗 Share this article

A century-old oak tree crashed down on the first day of a holiday. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the enormous tree destroyed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was engulfed 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 moments 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 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple worried the building might be unsafe and chose to reserve a hotel for the remainder 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 concluding the unresolved case with a cheerful "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 remember the anxiety and distress rather than celebrating a unique memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Emerge

With the peak travel period has concluded, countless holiday horror stories are emerging.

Unfortunate travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their rental – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Stories include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these ruined holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that refused refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has led to a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These platforms display worldwide property listings on their platforms and promise to fulfill travel dreams on a budget.

Consumer protections, however, have not caught up with their popularity.

Regulatory Gaps

Package-deal customers have legal options for holiday disasters under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms advertise extra protections, but your agreement is with the person 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 liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for serious problems, the company stated it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host claimed the determination was the platform's.

After 10 weeks 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 proposed that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "transform the event into a positive story."

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

Trapped

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to reserve 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 security lock on the front door failed.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was could not to help," she says. "They eventually called a locksmith who attempted for multiple 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 tools. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we finally managed to remove it. It turned out unfastened bolts had blocked 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 blamed us for using the lock

Pocock requested a full refund to compensate her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the decision of the host. The host not only refused, but withheld her €250 deposit to cover the new lock. The deposit was eventually returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was owed 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 suggested him to find somewhere else for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner won't reply to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can operate this way with no accountability. 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 read guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Review Systems

Ratings do not always tell the complete picture. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is simple for users to overlook a current flood of reviews warning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform countered that customers could readily sort reviews by the newest or lowest score so as to make their own decision on a property.

The same report claimed that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not removed. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that availability was current.

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 promise to help find other accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a disrupted stay is a tougher struggle. 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 police themselves, the only course of action 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 court proceedings in their country."

They add: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both companies are registered abroad and have significant financial resources."

Government authorities say new consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer transactions advertised or made on their platforms.

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

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