Holiday Horrors: Travelers Battle for Refunds as Bookings Turn Sour

A 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the first day of a vacation. Moments after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting 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 convinced the ceiling would collapse," James remembers. "If it had fallen minutes earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

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

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 decided to reserve 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 identical automated messages before concluding the pending case with a cheerful "Stay safe. Be well."

The host also showed little concern. "The only incident was you heard a loud noise and saw a tree resting on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the anxiety and trauma instead of celebrating a unique memory."

Peak Season Travel Issues Surface

Now that the peak travel period has ended, countless travel nightmare accounts are coming to light.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their rental – when it existed – or abandoned at night in strange cities when it wasn't. Accounts include filthy bedrooms, dangerous equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through online booking platforms that refused refunds.

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

Customer safeguards, however, have not kept pace with their popularity.

Legal Gaps

All-inclusive customers have legal recourse for holiday disasters under travel protection regulations, but those who book accommodation through third-party platforms find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms promote additional protections, but your agreement is with the individual or business offering the accommodation.

James and Andrew had paid £931 for their week in the Provençal cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, found themselves paying double the amount for a hotel. They still await notification about whether they are liable for the broken rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to reimburse customers for major issues, the company declared it was up to the host to agree a refund; the host insisted the decision 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 continued 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 proposed that instead the couple commemorate 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.

Locked In

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 most of their only full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door failed.

"The host sent a repair person, who was unable 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 lifted up a wrench and pliers. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we finally managed to remove it. It turned out unfastened bolts had blocked the mechanism. By then it was almost 4pm."

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

Pocock asked for a full refund to make up for her spoiled trip and the stress. The booking platform indicated this was at the decision of the host. The host not only declined, 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 key safe empty. The owners informed him they were abroad and could not help and advised him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months trying unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

"The platform has essentially said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's little they can do," he states. "I don't understand 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 intervention. The company verified the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had failed to its questions. When asked why unscrupulous accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "suitable for them."

Review Systems

Reviews do not always reveal the complete picture. A previous consumer report highlighted that one platform's standard setup was displaying reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to overlook 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 lowest score 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 depended on hosts to follow its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was up to date.

Legal Grey Area

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 commit to help find alternative accommodation in an emergency, but getting payment for a disrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both tend to rely on the owner to do the right thing.

The sector needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms essentially self-regulate, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," 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 continue: "You could argue that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint properly and try to pursue them, but this is a grey area. Both firms are based abroad and have significant financial resources."

Regulatory bodies say new consumer protection 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 strict new fines for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's money."

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