🔗 Share this article

A century-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a holiday. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting on the terrace, the massive tree destroyed 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 harmed the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would collapse," 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

Urgent repairs took 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the shaken couple worried the building might be structurally unsound and chose to reserve a hotel for the remainder of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have caused some disruption," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Be well."

The host displayed 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 have chosen to focus on the anxiety and distress rather than cherishing a special memory."

Peak Season Travel Problems Emerge

Now that the summer season has concluded, numerous holiday horror stories are emerging.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or locked out their rental – if it was real – or left stranded at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element unites these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that refused refunds.

The growth of booking websites has prompted a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These platforms display worldwide property portfolios on their platforms and guarantee to satisfy wanderlust on a limited funds.

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

Legal Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through online booking services find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

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

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves spending 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 reimburse customers for serious problems, 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 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 offering a refund either. She proposed 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 questions were raised about its health and safety policies.

Locked In

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to reserve a flat for a two-night stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were stuck inside the property for most of their only full day in the city after a security lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she says. "Finally they called a locksmith who attempted for several hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted up a wrench and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract it. It was discovered unfastened bolts had jammed the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

We would have been at serious risk if there had been an emergency while we were locked in, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock asked for a full refund to make up for her ruined trip and the anxiety. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to pay for 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 booked for £70 when, upon attempting to check in, he found the key safe empty. The owners informed him they were overseas and could not help and suggested him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months attempting unsuccessfully to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he states. "I don't understand how a business can operate this way with no accountability. The additional frustration is that the property in question is still being listed on the platform."

The platform refunded both customers after intervention. The company confirmed the host who had left Philip out of his rental had not responded to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Systems

Ratings do not always reveal 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 miss a recent flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could readily organize reviews by the most recent or lowest score 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 taken down. The platform responded that it relied on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was up to date.

Regulatory Uncertainty

The issue 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 promise to help find other accommodation in an crisis, but getting compensation for a disrupted stay is a more difficult battle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms effectively police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute continues is lawsuits," analysts say. "But who against? 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 investigate your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are registered abroad and have significant financial resources."

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

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