Vacation Horrors: Travelers Struggle for Compensation as Reservations Turn Sour

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

The vacation home in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that broke the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

If it had come down moments earlier we would have been seriously injured or killed

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

The booking platform showed little concern. "We understand this may have created some inconvenience," stated the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

The host displayed 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 have chosen to focus on the worry and trauma instead of cherishing a special memory."

Peak Season Travel Issues Emerge

Now that the summer season has ended, numerous travel nightmare accounts are emerging.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or locked out their rental – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it did not. Stories include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element connects these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The expansion of booking websites has prompted a rise in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies display worldwide property listings on their websites and guarantee to fulfill wanderlust on a limited funds.

Consumer protections, however, have not kept pace with their widespread use.

Legal Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal options for holiday disasters under consumer travel regulations, but those who book accommodation through online booking services find themselves dependent on their host's willingness to help.

Some platforms promote extra protections, but your contract is with the individual or business providing the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, ended up paying twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive notification about whether they are responsible 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 announced 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 beautiful story."

The platform finally issued a complete reimbursement along with a £500 voucher after inquiries 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 single full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host sent a repair person, who was could not to help," she states. "Finally they sent a locksmith who tried for several hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to buy a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we hoisted up a wrench and tools. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging 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 locked in, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock requested a full refund to make up for her ruined trip and the anxiety. The booking platform said this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, but withheld her €250 deposit to pay for the new 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 lockbox empty. The owners told him they were abroad and could not help and suggested 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 reimbursed.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner won't reply to them there's little 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 continues being listed on the platform."

The platform reimbursed both customers after intervention. The company verified 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 review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Rating Processes

Reviews do not always reveal the whole story. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is easy for users to miss a recent deluge of reviews warning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform responded that customers could easily sort reviews by the most recent or worst ratings so as to make their own choice on a property.

The same report stated that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not taken down. The platform responded that it depended on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was current.

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 alternative accommodation in an emergency, but getting compensation for a interrupted stay is a more difficult battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms essentially police themselves, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," experts 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: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to investigate your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are based abroad and have significant financial resources."

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

A spokesperson says: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have implemented tough new financial penalties for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's funds."

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