Holiday Nightmares: Travelers Battle for Refunds as Reservations Turn Sour

One century-old oak tree toppled over on the first day of a holiday. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting 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 damaged the roof. "I was convinced the ceiling would cave in," James recalls. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been critically hurt or killed."

Had it come down minutes earlier we would have been critically hurt or fatally wounded

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

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We understand this may have caused some disruption," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the pending case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Be well."

The host displayed 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 decided to remember the worry and distress rather than celebrating a special memory."

Peak Season Vacation Problems Surface

Now that the summer season has ended, numerous holiday horror stories are emerging.

Unlucky travelers report being locked in or locked out their accommodation – if it was real – or left stranded at night in unfamiliar cities when it did not. Stories include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element connects these spoiled holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that declined refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has led to a increase in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies showcase worldwide property portfolios on their platforms and promise to fulfill travel dreams 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 nightmares under consumer travel 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 contract is with the individual or business providing the accommodation.

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt sufficiently endangered to return, found themselves paying twice that 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 major issues, 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 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 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 commemorate their survival and "transform the event into a positive story."

The platform finally issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after questions were raised about its health and safety policies.

Trapped

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 only full day in the city after a security lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host sent a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she says. "Finally they sent a locksmith who attempted for multiple hours to fix the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we hoisted up a tool and tools. With us levering 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 blocked the mechanism. By then it was nearly 4pm."

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

Pocock requested a full refund to compensate her spoiled trip and the anxiety. The booking platform indicated this was at the discretion of the host. The host not only declined, but kept her €250 deposit to pay for the new 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 trying to check in, he found the lockbox empty. The owners told him they were overseas and could not help and suggested him to locate alternative accommodation for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the following four months attempting in vain to get this reimbursed.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no accountability. The additional frustration 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 left Philip out of his rental had failed to its inquiries. When asked why dishonest accommodation providers were not delisted, it said customers should review guest feedback to ensure a property was "the right fit."

Rating Processes

Reviews do not always reveal the whole story. A recent investigation highlighted that one platform's standard setup was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is easy for users to overlook a recent deluge of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform countered that customers could readily sort reviews by the newest or lowest score 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 removed. The platform answered that it relied on hosts to abide by its rules and ensure that booking information was up to date.

Regulatory Uncertainty

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

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

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer advocates. "Since online platforms essentially police themselves, the only course of action if the dispute isn't resolved is legal action," analysts 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 firms are registered abroad and have significant financial resources."

Regulatory bodies say new consumer protection legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases promoted or made on their platforms.

A representative says: "Authorities are on the side of consumers and we have brought into force tough new fines for violations of consumer law to safeguard people's funds."

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