James and Andrew are on their first holiday together to Provence, France when they have a terrifying experience. The pair spent £931 on their one-week visit to the beautiful thatched property which they found on an online holiday rental site. Their rental van trip soon became a nightmare. Then that huge moralistic oak tree, over 100 years old, sent us crashing into the side of that property. They had just sat down after breakfasting on the terrace when the disaster hit! It left them reeling and confronting unprecedented destruction.
As it turns out, that falling tree not only obliterated their outdoor furniture, it crushed the windscreen of their rental car. James and Andrew encountered significant damage to and safety issues with their cottage. They were soon forced to find other lodgings and had to pay £1,862 for a hotel room—twice what they had first paid for the short-term rental.
In another troubling incident, Kim Pocock faced a distressing situation during her two-night stay in a flat in Barcelona booked through Booking.com. A faulty security gate locked Kim and her daughter out of the house for hours. Despite their pleas for help, it took a locksmith several hours to gain entry, leaving the pair anxious and worried about their safety.
Both instances illustrate a rapidly increasing pattern of frustration among the millions of travelers using online rental marketplaces. Unfortunately, incidents like these are all too frequent. Consequently, consumers are raising the stakes on transparency and corporate responsibility from platforms such as Airbnb and Booking.com.
Dangerous Incidents in Provence
James and Andrew’s vacation quickly turned life-threatening when a large live oak crashed through their AirBnb cottage. They described the moment with palpable fear.
“I was sure the ceiling was going to come in,” James recounted, reflecting on the chaos. “If it had fallen minutes earlier, we would have been seriously injured or killed.” The financial impact was enormous, leaving them to contend with not just property damage but a major debt.
James said that he was disappointed with how much the main host ignored their plight. He pointed out that damage was indeed done, but the host’s reaction was very cavalier and dismissive.
“All that happened to you was that you heard a loud noise and saw a tree lying on the terrace,” the host remarked.
Nursing board witnesses told James this response left him feeling dismissed and abandoned, adding insult to injury in an already traumatic experience. James has already spent four months unsuccessfully seeking a refund for the additional hotel costs that resulted from the incident. His frustration with the host and Airbnb are reaching a boiling point.
Booking.com Troubles in Barcelona
She and her daughter recently became prisoners in their vacation home due to a broken lock. The lag in aid made their distress worse, with residents reporting they had no idea how long they would be stuck in place.
The host ended up sending over a maintenance man, but he was not able to assist,” Kim said. Their nightmare stretched for several hours. When help did come, they found themselves exposed at a time when they should have been enjoying a carefree vacation.
That three-month wait without any accountability from Kim’s host has only compounded her trauma. When she finally asked for a full refund, explaining that her stay had become too complicated and challenging, she was rebuffed. The host even deducted her €250 deposit to replace the broken lock.
“We would have been at serious risk if there had been an emergency while we were trapped, yet the host is blaming us for using the lock,” Kim stated, highlighting her frustration with the situation.
Travelers impacted like Kim all experience uncertainty and confusion. This often leaves them second guessing the reliability and safety of an online rental platform’s promise of comfort and convenience.
Consumer Rights and Company Accountability
James, Andrew, and Kim’s experiences capture larger issues as they relate to consumer protections in the online rental marketplace. Most travelers do not feel protected when something goes wrong on their trip.
A spokesperson from the DBT underscored the government’s intent to “protect consumers” with this action. “This government is on the side of consumers and we have brought into force tough new financial penalties for breaches of consumer law to protect people’s cash,” they stated. For one, they promised that any companies doing business in this area would have to abide by UK law. Further, regulatory authorities have been provided with increased enforcement powers to maintain compliance.
Airbnb has started to address the mounting complaints. They followed that up with a very public commitment to do better on customer complaints related to health and safety concerns.
“We apologise for the original handling of this case, which falls short of our usual high standards. We will be reviewing this internally,” an Airbnb spokesperson said.
James and Andrew were given a full refund, plus a £500 flight voucher. Unfortunately, this gesture did nothing to mitigate the trauma they experienced. They oriented the advocacy around the recognition that money can’t ever compensate for the emotional trauma of events like this.
As this trend plays out, consumers are encouraged to stay alert when reserving rooms via online channels. Reviews and ratings aren’t always what they seem, and they can cover up major pitfalls. That’s why it’s so important for travelers to do their homework before reserving a rental.