🔗 Share this article

One 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a holiday. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the massive tree smashed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was covered by branches that shattered the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would collapse," James recalls. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or killed."

If it had come down moments earlier we would have been seriously injured or fatally wounded

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 remainder of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have created some inconvenience," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before closing the unresolved case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Be well."

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident was you experienced a loud sound and observed a tree resting on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to remember the worry and distress rather than cherishing a unique memory."

Summer Travel Issues Surface

With the summer season has ended, numerous travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their accommodation – if it was real – or abandoned at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor unites these spoiled holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has led to a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies display global property listings on their websites and guarantee to fulfill wanderlust on a budget.

Consumer protections, however, have not caught up with their widespread use.

Legal Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters 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 providing the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, ended up paying double the amount for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are responsible 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 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 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 "turn the event into a beautiful story."

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

Locked In

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to book a flat for a weekend 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 malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she says. "Finally they sent a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he threw up to our window and we hoisted up a wrench and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to extract 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 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 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 replacement lock. The deposit was eventually 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 trying to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners informed him they were abroad and could not help and suggested him to locate somewhere else for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following 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 says. "I can't comprehend how a business can operate this way with no responsibility. The extra 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 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 reveal the complete picture. A recent consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to overlook a current flood of reviews warning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

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

The same report stated that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not taken down. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that availability was up to date.

Legal Grey Area

The problem for travelers who do not get what they paid for is that their contract 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 disrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only course of action if the dispute continues is lawsuits," experts say. "But who against? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take court proceedings in their country."

They continue: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint properly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are registered overseas and have deep pockets."

Regulatory bodies say new consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases advertised 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 violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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