Holiday Horrors: Travelers Struggle for Compensation as Reservations Go Wrong

A century-old oak tree toppled over 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 damaged their rental car's windscreen.

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

If it had come down minutes earlier we would have been critically hurt or killed

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

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have created some disruption," stated the first of many similar automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a cheerful "Keep safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed little concern. "The only incident was you experienced a loud sound and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the worry and distress instead of celebrating a special memory."

Summer Travel Issues Emerge

With the summer season has concluded, numerous holiday horror stories are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or locked out their accommodation – when it existed – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor connects these spoiled holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The expansion of rental platforms has led to a increase in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies display global property listings on their websites and guarantee to fulfill wanderlust on a limited funds.

Consumer protections, though, have not caught up with their widespread use.

Legal Gaps

Package-deal customers have legal options 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 advertise extra protections, but your contract is with the person 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, found themselves spending double the amount for a hotel. They have yet to receive information about whether they are liable for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to refund customers for serious problems, the company declared it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host insisted the decision was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of identical 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 "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 safety policies.

Trapped

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to book a flat for a weekend stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were left trapped the property for the majority of their only full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host dispatched a repair person, who was could not to help," she says. "They eventually sent a locksmith who tried for multiple 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 prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to extract it. It was discovered unfastened bolts 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 trapped, yet the host blamed 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 refused, but kept her €250 deposit to pay for the new lock. The deposit was eventually returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was due the €446 rental cost.

Another platform customer, Philip, was trapped outside the London flat he reserved for £70 when, upon trying 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 won't reply to them there's little they can do," he says. "I can't comprehend how a business can operate this way with no responsibility. The extra disappointment is that the property in question is still being advertised on the platform."

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

Review Processes

Ratings do not always tell the complete picture. A recent consumer report highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "relevant." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a current deluge of reviews cautioning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform countered that customers could readily sort reviews by the most recent or worst ratings 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 answered that it relied on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Regulatory Grey Area

The problem 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 promise to help find alternative accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a interrupted stay is a tougher struggle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs more regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only option if the dispute continues is legal action," experts say. "But who against? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take court proceedings in their country."

They continue: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to look into your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are based overseas and have deep pockets."

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 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 protect people's funds."

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