Vacation Horrors: Travelers Struggle for Refunds as Bookings Go Wrong

One 100-year-old oak tree crashed down on the initial day of a vacation. Minutes after James and his partner Andrew had finished breakfasting 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 certain the ceiling would collapse," James recalls. "Had it fallen moments earlier, we could have been critically hurt or fatally wounded."

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

Emergency repairs took 24 hours after the host hauled the tree off the property, but the shaken 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 inconvenience," wrote the first of many identical automated messages before concluding the unresolved case with a upbeat "Keep safe. Be well."

The host displayed little concern. "All that happened was you experienced a loud sound and observed a tree lying on the terrace," she responded to the couple's refund request. "You decided to focus on the anxiety and trauma rather than cherishing a unique memory."

Summer Vacation Problems Emerge

With the summer season has ended, countless travel nightmare accounts are emerging.

Unlucky travelers report being trapped inside or unable to enter their rental – if it was real – or abandoned at night in unfamiliar cities when it wasn't. Stories include dirty bedrooms, unsafe equipment and illegal sublets. One common factor unites these spoiled holidays: they were booked through digital reservation services that refused refunds.

The growth of rental platforms has led to a rise in travelers organizing their own holidays. These companies display worldwide property listings on their websites and promise to fulfill travel dreams on a budget.

Customer safeguards, however, have not caught up with their popularity.

Legal Loopholes

Package-deal customers have legal options for holiday disasters under travel protection regulations, but those who book accommodation through online booking services find themselves reliant on their host's cooperation.

Some platforms advertise additional protections, but your contract is with the individual or company 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 spending twice that for a hotel. They have yet to receive notification about whether they are responsible for the damaged rental car. Despite the platform's guarantee program to refund customers for serious problems, the company stated it was up to the host to approve a refund; the host insisted the determination 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 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 "turn the event into a positive story."

The platform eventually issued a complete reimbursement 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 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 unable to help," she states. "Finally they 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 hoisted up a tool and tools. With us prying the lock from the inside and the locksmith banging it from the outside, we eventually managed to extract 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 locked in, yet the host faulted us for using the lock

Pocock requested a full refund to make up for her ruined trip and the stress. The booking platform said this was at the decision of the host. The host not only refused, but kept her €250 deposit to cover the new lock. The deposit was eventually 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 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 find somewhere else for the night. He spent an extra £123 on a hotel room and has spent the intervening four months attempting in vain to get this refunded.

"The platform has basically said that as the owner isn't responding to them there's nothing they can do," he states. "I can't comprehend how a business can function this way with no responsibility. The additional disappointment is that the property in question is continues being listed on the platform."

The platform refunded both customers after intervention. The company verified the host who had locked Philip out of his rental had not responded to its inquiries. 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 reveal the whole story. A recent consumer report highlighted that one platform's default system was displaying reviews it considered "important." This means that it is simple for users to overlook a current flood of reviews cautioning that a listing is a scam or not available.

The platform responded that customers could readily organize reviews by the most recent 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 responded that it depended on hosts to abide by its terms and conditions and ensure that booking information 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 not the booking platform.

Major platforms promise to help find alternative accommodation in an emergency, but getting compensation for a interrupted stay is a tougher battle. Both typically rely on the owner to do what's fair.

The industry needs greater regulation, according to consumer protection experts. "Since online platforms effectively self-regulate, the only option if the dispute isn't resolved is legal action," analysts say. "But against whom? As the contract is between you and the host you'd have to take legal action in their country."

They add: "One might claim that the online marketplace failed to investigate your complaint thoroughly and try to sue them, but this is a legal uncertainty. Both firms are based abroad 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 added: "Companies selling services to local consumers must follow local law, and we have bolstered oversight authorities' powers to make sure they face severe penalties if they do not."