🔗 Share this article

One century-old oak tree crashed down on the first day of a vacation. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the massive tree smashed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that broke the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would collapse," James recalls. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or killed."

Had it fallen minutes earlier we would have been seriously injured or fatally wounded

Urgent 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 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 disruption," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before closing the pending case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Be well."

The host also showed little concern. "The only incident was you experienced a loud sound and observed a tree resting on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to remember the anxiety and distress instead of cherishing a special memory."

Summer Travel Issues Emerge

Now that the summer season has ended, countless holiday horror stories are emerging.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or unable to enter their rental – if it was real – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element connects these ruined holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services 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 platforms and guarantee to satisfy wanderlust on a limited funds.

Consumer protections, though, have not kept pace with their popularity.

Regulatory Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal recourse 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 agreement is with the individual 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, found themselves spending twice that for a hotel. They still await notification 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 two and a half months of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared the case had dragged on 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 suggested that instead the couple commemorate their survival and "turn the event into a positive story."

The platform eventually issued a complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after questions were raised about its safety policies.

Trapped

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 repair person, who was unable to help," she states. "Finally they sent a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted up a wrench and tools. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we finally managed to remove 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 trapped, yet the host blamed us for using the lock

Pocock requested a full refund 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 trying 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 alternative accommodation for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months attempting 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 extra frustration is that the property in question is continues being listed on the platform."

The platform reimbursed both customers after involvement. The company verified the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had not responded to its inquiries. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should read guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Systems

Reviews do not always tell the whole story. A recent investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was displaying reviews it considered "important." This means that it is easy for users to miss a recent flood of reviews warning that a listing is a scam or not available.

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

The same report claimed that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not removed. The platform responded that it relied on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that booking information was current.

Regulatory Grey Area

The issue 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 crisis, but getting payment for a disrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only course of action if the dispute isn't resolved is legal action," analysts say. "But who against? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take court proceedings in their country."

They add: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to look into your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are based overseas and have significant financial resources."

Government authorities say recent consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases promoted or made on their platforms.

A representative states: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force tough new fines for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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