🔗 Share this article

A 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a vacation. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast 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 certain the ceiling would cave in," James recalls. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

If it had fallen 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 feared the building might be structurally unsound and chose to reserve a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We recognize this may have created some inconvenience," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a upbeat "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 replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the anxiety and distress instead of cherishing a unique memory."

Peak Season Travel Issues Emerge

With the peak travel period has concluded, countless holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their rental – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has prompted a rise in travelers organizing their own holidays. These platforms showcase global property portfolios on their websites and guarantee to fulfill travel dreams on a limited funds.

Customer safeguards, however, have not caught up with their widespread use.

Legal Loopholes

All-inclusive customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under consumer travel regulations, but those who book accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves dependent on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms promote extra protections, but your agreement is with the person or company offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, ended up paying twice that for a hotel. They still await notification about whether they are liable 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 claimed the decision was the platform's.

After two and a half months of similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform announced the case had dragged on long enough and summarily closed it. The host concluded that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be offering a refund either. She suggested that instead the couple celebrate 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 safety policies.

Trapped

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 the majority of their only full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she says. "Finally they sent a locksmith who attempted for several hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he threw up to our window and we hoisted up a tool and tools. With us levering 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 blocked the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

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

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to make up for her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision 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 due the €446 rental cost.

Another platform customer, Philip, was locked out the London flat he booked for £70 when, upon attempting 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 paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months trying 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 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 involvement. The company verified the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had not responded to its questions. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Review Systems

Reviews do not always reveal the complete picture. A recent investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to miss a recent flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could readily sort reviews by the newest 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 removed. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to follow its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Legal Uncertainty

The problem 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 promise to help find other accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a interrupted stay is a tougher struggle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms essentially police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute continues is legal action," analysts 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: "One might claim that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are based overseas and have significant financial resources."

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

A representative says: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have implemented tough new financial penalties for breaches of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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