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One century-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a vacation. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the enormous tree smashed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The rental cottage in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that broke the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would cave in," James recalls. "Had it fallen minutes earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

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

Emergency repairs took a full day after the host winched the tree off the property, but the shaken couple worried the building might be unsafe and chose to reserve a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We recognize this may have created some inconvenience," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the pending case with a cheerful "Stay safe. Be well."

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident was you experienced a loud sound and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the worry and trauma instead of celebrating a unique memory."

Summer Travel Problems Emerge

Now that the summer season has ended, countless travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their accommodation – when it existed – or abandoned at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Stories include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor unites these spoiled holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

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

Customer safeguards, though, have not kept pace with their widespread use.

Regulatory Loopholes

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 promote additional protections, but your contract 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, ended up spending double the amount for a hotel. They still await notification about whether they are responsible 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 approve a refund; the host insisted the determination was the platform's.

After two and a half months of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform announced the case had continued long enough and abruptly ended 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 "turn the event into a beautiful story."

The platform finally issued a complete reimbursement 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 stuck inside 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 could not to help," she says. "Finally they sent a locksmith who attempted 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 lifted up a wrench and pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering 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 full refund to make up for her spoiled trip and the anxiety. The booking platform said 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 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 told him they were abroad and could not help and advised him to locate 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 refunded.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner won't reply to them there's little they can do," he states. "I don't understand how a business can function 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 confirmed the host who had left Philip out of his rental had failed 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 tell the whole story. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying reviews it considered "important." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a current deluge of reviews warning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform countered 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 responded that it depended on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that booking information was current.

Regulatory Uncertainty

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

Major platforms promise to help find alternative accommodation in an emergency, but getting compensation for a disrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

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

They continue: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are based abroad and have deep pockets."

Regulatory bodies say recent customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer transactions promoted or made on their platforms.

A spokesperson 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 funds."

They continued: "Businesses selling services to local consumers must follow local law, and we have strengthened oversight authorities' powers to make sure they face substantial penalties if they do not."