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A century-old oak tree toppled over on the initial day of a holiday. 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 vacation home in Provence, France was covered by branches that shattered 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 critically hurt or fatally wounded

Emergency repairs took a full day after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple feared the building might be structurally unsound and decided to book a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

The booking platform showed little concern. "We understand this may have created some inconvenience," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before closing 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 decided to focus on the worry and distress rather than celebrating a unique memory."

Summer Vacation Issues Emerge

With the summer season has ended, countless 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 unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element unites these ruined holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that refused refunds.

The growth of booking websites has led to a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies display global property portfolios on their platforms and guarantee to satisfy wanderlust on a limited funds.

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

Legal Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal recourse for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms promote additional protections, but your contract is with the person or company offering 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 twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for serious problems, the company stated it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host claimed the determination was the platform's.

After 10 weeks 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 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 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 health and 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 left trapped the property for the majority of their single 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. "They eventually called a locksmith who tried for several 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 tools. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to remove it. It was discovered 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 faulted us for using the lock

Pocock requested a complete reimbursement to compensate her ruined trip and the anxiety. The booking platform said this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only declined, but kept her €250 deposit to cover 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 reserved for £70 when, upon attempting to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners told him they were abroad and could not help and suggested him to find 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 refunded.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner won't reply to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I can't comprehend how a business can function this way with no accountability. The additional frustration is that the property in question is still being advertised on the platform."

The platform reimbursed both customers after involvement. The company confirmed the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had failed to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Rating Processes

Reviews do not always tell the whole story. A previous investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying 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 scam 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 claimed that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not taken down. The platform answered that it depended on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Legal Uncertainty

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

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

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms essentially police themselves, the only option 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 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 grey area. Both companies are based abroad and have deep pockets."

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

A representative says: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force tough new fines for breaches of consumer law to protect people's money."

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