Vacation Nightmares: Tourists Battle for Refunds as Reservations Go Wrong

A 100-year-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a holiday. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished eating breakfast on the terrace, the enormous tree destroyed their table and chairs and damaged their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that shattered the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been critically hurt or killed."

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

Urgent repairs took a full day after the host winched the tree off the property, but the shaken couple feared 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 caused some disruption," wrote the first of many similar automated messages before closing the pending case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

The host displayed little concern. "The only incident 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 remember the anxiety and trauma rather than celebrating a unique memory."

Peak Season Travel Issues Surface

With the summer season has concluded, numerous travel nightmare accounts are emerging.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or locked out their accommodation – when it existed – or left stranded at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor unites these spoiled holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that refused refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has led to a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies display global property portfolios on their platforms and promise to fulfill travel dreams on a budget.

Customer safeguards, however, have not caught up with their popularity.

Legal Gaps

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

Some platforms promote extra protections, but your agreement is with the individual or business providing 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 double the amount for a hotel. They still await notification about whether they are liable for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund 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 10 weeks of similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared the case had continued long enough and abruptly ended it. The host decided that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be providing a refund either. She proposed that instead the couple celebrate 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.

Locked In

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

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was could not to help," she states. "Finally they called a locksmith who tried for multiple hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he threw up to our window and we hoisted up a wrench and pliers. With us levering the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to extract it. It was discovered loose screws had blocked the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

We would have been at grave danger if there had been an emergency while we were locked in, yet the host blamed us for using the lock

Pocock asked for a complete reimbursement to make up for her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to cover 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 reserved for £70 when, upon attempting to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners informed him they were overseas and could not help and suggested him to locate alternative accommodation 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 isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can operate this way with no accountability. 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 left Philip out of his rental had failed to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not removed, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Systems

Reviews do not always tell the complete picture. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is easy for users to miss a current flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform countered 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 claimed that listings that had been multiple times reported as scams were not removed. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to follow its rules and ensure that availability was up to date.

Legal 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 emergency, but getting payment for a disrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms essentially self-regulate, 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: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to look into your complaint properly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are based overseas and have significant financial resources."

Regulatory bodies say new customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "demonstrate professional diligence" in relation to consumer transactions advertised 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 continued: "Companies selling services to local consumers must comply with local law, and we have strengthened oversight authorities' powers to make sure they face severe penalties if they do not."