I have learned that in the country where Latin was once spoken, it is caveat emptor all the way. Don't expect refunds or accommodations from staff anywhere that tourists frequent.

I came to the Galleria Borghese at 8:30AM to purchase my three reserved tickets. The gallery opens at 9AM, and our entrance time was from 9-11 only.

My two friends were late, so I wrote their names on the tickets and left them at the desk with the approval of the front desk person.

My friends arrived around 9:20 and met me inside the gallery. We finished our tour and left. A couple days later, I discovered that the gallery, despite its policy of "requiring" reservations, charged my friends for new tickets without ever asking them whether they had reservations or asking their names.

No problem, I thought, they still have the tickets and will refund the money. WRONG. Not only did they not answer my email sent two days later to the address on their website, but when I got back to Rome the front desk girl nearly shouted at me for daring to come back for a refund after so many days.

I spoke to an older, more rational volunteer working there, and she told me that they throw away the tickets at the end of the day.

Anyway, be on your guard and do not trust staff to look out for your interests. This is general to Rome and to any tourist area in Italy. (For example, the Vatican Museum refused to let me exchange something even though I had purchased it an hour earlier and would have paid them extra for the exchange.)

Count your beans before you leave and don't bother asking for any accommodations in that City.

Thanks for sharing that Peickelb. However, there was quite an argument once because somebody dared to post a thread about a bad experience at the Borghese Gallery.

Castellanese.

interesting first post - are you simply cruising for sites where you can post this?

Not defending the Galleria - but I'm curious to understand how was the staff to know there were two tickets already earmarked for your friends? Were they supposed to ask every person "Do you have a friend who may have left tickets for you?"

Maybe I'm not getting it - it has been many years since I've been to the Borghese

"do not trust staff to look out for your interests."

An interesting comment.

Perhaps people should look out for their interest instead of expecting total stranger to do so ( in Italy or any place else).

Next time your friends will be on time. The alloted times are few and precious.

...and a ticket is only € 10,50

I agree with bobthenavigator. The really inconsiderate people here were your friends. You were taken advantage of by them, far more than by the Borghese. It might be 'safer' for you to vent your frustration at the gallery staff, but to me the vent properly should be directed elsewhere.

You have two precious hours in the Borghese, and they casually arrive late?

What arrangement did they expect, that you were to wait until they showed up? Even you were wise enough not to do that.

The official website says clearly, "it is compulsory for tickets to be collected 30 mins before the appointed time slot."

When you surrendered the tickets, you as good as indicated that your party hadn't abided by the rules; they weren't there to collect the tickets, ergo, they forfeited them. They are lucky they were admitted at all, even for a second charge.

I was surprised that they allowed your friends to enter late. We arrived at 1pm and we had reservations for 1-3pm but we were not allowed in as we were 'late' as you have to arrive 30 mins prior to the reservation.
Instead we toured the gardens and returned just before 3pm and bought a Roma pass which we used as a walk-in ticket so saving our reservation fees.
It was worth the wait as we loved the Borghese and 'saved euros' we spent on gelato!

Did you tell your friends that you have purchased tickets for them and ask them to inquire about it at the ticket window?

When your friends arrived, did you ask them if they used your reserved tickets?

How is the ticket agent supposed to know which visitors are YOUR friends? You're saying that the agent is supposed to ask every visitor, "Are you XXX?"

My advice Travel by yourself next time.

And why are you taking this upon yourself?? I assume (maybe I shouldn't) that your friends are the ones paying for their tickets? If they feel they were overcharged, let them quarrel and complain about it. Why are you wasting your time, I don't understand.

and why should the gallery keep tickets long after the allotted entrance time ?

I agree, how was the clerk supposed to know which people were your friends? It's their own fault for being late and not telling them that their tickets should be waiting. Did your friends even know you had done that?

That's Italy for you...I was once charged for a ticket to a church in Venice( the one with all the Art)...the name escapes me now....Anyway, it was free that Sunday and my partner paid before I remembered.People get away with what you allow them to.