🔗 Share this article

A 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the first day of a holiday. Minutes 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 engulfed by branches that shattered the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

Had it fallen moments 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 traumatized couple worried 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 recognize this may have caused some disruption," stated the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the pending case with a cheerful "Stay safe. Be well."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened 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 trauma instead of cherishing a unique memory."

Peak Season Travel Problems Emerge

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

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or locked out their rental – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One common factor unites these ruined holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The expansion of rental platforms has led to a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms display global property listings on their websites and promise to fulfill 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 consumer travel regulations, but those who book accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's willingness to help.

Some platforms advertise additional protections, but your contract is with the individual or business providing the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves spending double the amount for a hotel. They have yet to receive 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 determination 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 continued long enough and summarily closed 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 celebrate their survival and "transform the event into a beautiful story."

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

Locked In

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to reserve a flat for a two-night 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 failed.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was could not to help," she states. "Finally they sent a locksmith who attempted for multiple 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 tools. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract it. It turned out loose screws had blocked 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 blamed us for using the lock

Pocock requested a full refund 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 kept her €250 deposit to cover 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 reserved for £70 when, upon attempting to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners told him they were overseas and could not help and suggested him to find alternative accommodation for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting in vain 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 states. "I can't comprehend how a business can operate 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 delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Processes

Ratings do not always tell the whole story. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to overlook a recent deluge of reviews warning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

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

The same report stated that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not taken down. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Regulatory Grey Area

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 commit to help find alternative accommodation in an crisis, but getting compensation for a interrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both tend to 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 lawsuits," analysts 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: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are based abroad and have significant financial resources."

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

A spokesperson states: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force tough new fines for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's funds."

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