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One 100-year-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 rental cottage in Provence, France was covered by branches that broke the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would collapse," James recalls. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

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

Urgent repairs took 24 hours after the host winched the tree off the property, but the shaken couple worried the building might be structurally unsound and decided to reserve a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We understand this may have created some inconvenience," wrote the first of many similar automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed little concern. "The only incident was you experienced a loud sound and saw a tree resting on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to remember the worry and distress instead of celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Issues Emerge

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

Unfortunate travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their rental – if it was real – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Stories include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One common factor connects these ruined holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The growth of booking websites has led to a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies showcase global property portfolios on their websites and promise to satisfy travel dreams on a limited funds.

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

Regulatory Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters 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 agreement is with the individual or business 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 still await notification about whether they are responsible for the broken 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 claimed the decision was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared the case had continued long enough and abruptly ended it. The host decided that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be offering a refund either. She suggested that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "turn the event into a positive story."

The platform eventually issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after questions 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 left trapped the property for the majority of their only full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was unable to help," she says. "They eventually sent a locksmith who attempted for several hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted up a tool and tools. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we finally managed to extract it. It turned out loose screws had jammed the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

We would have been at grave danger if there had been an emergency while we were locked in, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock asked for a complete reimbursement to make up for her spoiled trip and the anxiety. The booking platform indicated this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but withheld her €250 deposit to pay for 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 trapped outside the London flat he reserved for £70 when, upon attempting to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners informed him they were overseas and could not help and advised him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting unsuccessfully 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 states. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no accountability. The additional disappointment is that the property in question is still being advertised on the platform."

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

Rating Systems

Reviews do not always reveal the whole story. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's default system was displaying reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to miss a current deluge of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could readily sort 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 multiple times reported as scams were not removed. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that availability was current.

Legal Grey Area

The problem 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 promise to help find alternative accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a disrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both typically rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The sector needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms effectively police themselves, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," 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 add: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are registered overseas and have deep pockets."

Regulatory bodies 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: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force strict new fines for breaches of consumer law to safeguard people's funds."

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