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A 100-year-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a holiday. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the massive tree smashed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was covered by branches that broke the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James remembers. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

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

The booking platform showed little concern. "We recognize this may have caused some disruption," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the pending case with a upbeat "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 unique memory."

Summer Travel Problems Surface

Now that the peak travel period has concluded, numerous travel nightmare accounts are emerging.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their accommodation – if it was real – or abandoned at night in strange cities when it did not. Stories include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor unites these spoiled holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that declined refunds.

The expansion of rental platforms has led to a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These platforms showcase worldwide property listings on their platforms and guarantee to satisfy travel dreams on a budget.

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

Regulatory Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under consumer travel regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through online booking services find themselves dependent on their host's cooperation.

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

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves paying double the amount for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for major issues, 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 continued long enough and summarily closed it. The host concluded that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be providing a refund either. She suggested that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "transform the event into a beautiful story."

The platform eventually 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 book 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 malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was unable to help," she says. "They eventually called a locksmith who tried for several hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he threw up to our window and we lifted up a tool and pliers. 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 unfastened bolts had jammed the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

We would have been at serious risk if there had been an crisis while we were trapped, yet the host blamed us for using the lock

Pocock asked for 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 refused, but withheld her €250 deposit to cover the replacement 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 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 locate alternative accommodation 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 essentially said that as the owner won't reply to them there's little they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no responsibility. The additional disappointment is that the property in question is continues being listed 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 "suitable for them."

Rating Systems

Reviews do not always tell the whole story. A recent consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a current flood of reviews cautioning 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 claimed 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 availability was up to date.

Legal Uncertainty

The problem for travelers who do not get what they expected is that their contract is with the accommodation provider rather than the booking platform.

Major platforms commit to help find other accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a interrupted stay is a more difficult battle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is legal action," 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: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint properly and try to pursue 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 promoted or made on their platforms.

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

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