Vacation Nightmares: Travelers Struggle for Refunds as Bookings Turn Sour

One 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the first day of a holiday. 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 rental cottage in Provence, France was engulfed by branches that shattered the living room window and damaged the roof. "I was certain the ceiling would cave in," James recalls. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been seriously injured or fatally wounded."

Had it come down 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 feared the building might be structurally unsound and decided to reserve a hotel for the rest of their week-long stay.

The booking platform remained unperturbed. "We recognize this may have created some disruption," stated the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the pending case with a upbeat "Stay safe. Stay healthy."

The host also showed little concern. "All that happened was you experienced a loud sound and saw a tree lying on the terrace," she replied to the couple's refund request. "You decided to remember the anxiety and trauma rather than celebrating a special memory."

Summer Vacation Issues Surface

With the summer season has concluded, countless travel nightmare accounts 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 wasn't. Stories include filthy bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One shared element unites these spoiled holidays: they were reserved through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The growth of booking websites has led to a rise in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies display global property portfolios on their websites and promise to satisfy wanderlust on a budget.

Customer safeguards, though, have not kept pace with their widespread use.

Regulatory Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal recourse for holiday nightmares under travel protection regulations, but those who reserve accommodation through online booking services find themselves reliant on their host's willingness to help.

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

James and Andrew had spent £931 for their week in the French cottage and when they felt too unsafe to return, ended up paying double the amount for a hotel. They have yet to receive notification 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 approve a refund; the host claimed the determination was the platform's.

After two and a half months of similar automated messages in response to James's complaint, the platform announced the case had dragged on 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 finally issued a full refund along with a £500 voucher after questions were raised about its health and safety policies.

Locked In

Kim Pocock used a booking platform to book a flat for a two-night stay in Barcelona. She and her daughter were left trapped the property for most of their single full day in the city after a safety lock on the front door malfunctioned.

"The host dispatched a maintenance man, who was could not to help," she says. "They eventually called a locksmith who attempted for several hours to access the lock from the outside. He had to purchase a rope, which he tossed up to our window and we lifted 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 extract it. It was discovered loose screws 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 faulted us for using the lock

Pocock asked for a complete reimbursement to compensate her ruined 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 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 reserved 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 advised him to locate somewhere else for the night. He paid an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting unsuccessfully to get this refunded.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner won't reply to them there's little they can do," he says. "I don't understand how a business can function this way with no accountability. 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 left Philip out of his rental had not responded to its inquiries. When asked why unscrupulous 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 previous investigation highlighted that one platform's default system was showing reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to miss a current flood of reviews warning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform countered that customers could easily sort reviews by the newest or worst ratings so as to make their own decision on a property.

The same report claimed that listings that had been repeatedly reported as scams were not taken down. The platform responded that it depended on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that availability was up to date.

Regulatory Grey Area

The problem for travelers who do not get what they paid for 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 interrupted stay is a tougher battle. 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 effectively police themselves, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is lawsuits," experts say. "But who against? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take legal action in their country."

They add: "You could argue that the online marketplace didn't manage to look into your complaint thoroughly and try to pursue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both companies are registered overseas and have deep pockets."

Government authorities say new customer safety legislation requires online platforms to "exercise professional diligence" in relation to consumer purchases advertised or made on their platforms.

A representative says: "Government agencies are on the side of consumers and we have implemented strict new fines for violations of consumer law to protect people's funds."

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