Holiday Horrors: Travelers Struggle for Refunds as Reservations Turn Sour

One 100-year-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 destroyed their table and chairs and crushed their rental car's windscreen.

The vacation home in Provence, France was covered by branches that shattered the living room window and harmed the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would cave in," James recalls. "If it had fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

If it had fallen moments earlier we would have been critically hurt or killed

Emergency repairs took 24 hours after the host winched the tree off the property, but the traumatized couple worried the building might be unsafe and decided to book a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We recognize this may have created some inconvenience," stated the first of many identical automated messages before closing the pending case with a cheerful "Stay safe. Be well."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you heard a loud noise and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You have chosen to remember the anxiety and trauma instead of celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Surface

Now that the peak travel period has ended, numerous holiday horror stories are emerging.

Unfortunate travelers report being locked in or locked out their accommodation – if it was real – or abandoned at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Accounts include dirty bedrooms, dangerous equipment and unauthorized sublets. One shared element unites these ruined holidays: they were booked through online booking platforms that declined refunds.

The growth of booking websites has prompted a rise in travelers arranging their own holidays. These companies showcase global property portfolios on their websites and guarantee to fulfill travel dreams on a budget.

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

Regulatory Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal options for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who book 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 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 paying double the amount for a hotel. They still await information about whether they are liable for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's protection pledge to refund customers for major issues, the company stated it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host claimed the determination was the platform's.

After 10 weeks of identical automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform declared the case had continued long enough and abruptly ended it. The host concluded that since repairs had cost her €5,000 (£4,350), she would not be offering a refund either. She suggested that instead the couple celebrate their survival and "turn the event into a positive story."

The platform eventually issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after inquiries 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 stuck inside 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 maintenance man, who was could not to help," she states. "Finally they sent a locksmith who attempted for several 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 pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith hammering it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract it. It turned out unfastened bolts had blocked 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 complete reimbursement to make up for her spoiled trip and the stress. 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 replacement lock. The deposit was finally returned by the platform but Pocock felt she was owed the €446 rental cost.

Another platform customer, Philip, was trapped outside 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 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 isn't responding 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 additional 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 left 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 complete picture. A recent investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to overlook a current flood of reviews warning that a listing is a fraud or not available.

The platform countered that customers could easily organize reviews by the newest or worst ratings so as to make their own choice 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 depended on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that availability was current.

Regulatory Uncertainty

The issue for travelers who do not get what they expected is that their legal agreement is with the accommodation provider rather than the booking platform.

Major platforms commit to help find other accommodation in an crisis, but getting compensation for a disrupted stay is a more difficult struggle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Because online platforms essentially police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute continues 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: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are registered overseas and have significant financial resources."

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

A spokesperson says: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force tough new financial penalties for breaches of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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