How to deal tactfully with a partially unsuable donation from a business.

[darklisruthven]

How would you deal with this sitaution?

Next week we are performing our production of Les Miserables. I have a connundraum with donated raffle prizes.

One of our actresses spoke to a shop in a nearby town and got a donation of a whole carrier-bagful of DVDs for our interval raffles.

I have just got them home and checked them over. About half of them are "naughty discs" ones (photocopied packaging, and home-recorded DVD discs with the film names handwritten). now there is no way in hell I will offer them as raffle prizes, they are heading for the bin, but I am not sure how to deal tactfully with this.

The actress who got them, had not checked them, in fact she says she was assured by the shop they are all genuine discs and I really do not want to hurt her feelings, or be ungrateful to the shop as there are several genuine new DVDs that we CAN put in the raffle. But of course there is no way those naughty discs can go anywhere except in the bin.

I do not want to hurt our actresses feelings when she sees that far fewer than the total DVDs she was given, are actually in the raffles, I dont want anyone, especally the newbies, to think that I or others of the theatre group committee have skedaddled with them, and I dont want to offend the shop either as after all they have helped out with some very nice genuine donations as well.

How would YOU deal with this situation? My approach is to be upfront with our actress, to speak to her in person, show her the discs so that she understands the situation, and hope she is not upset or embarrassed, (but she is quite a nervy person.) and ask her to not cause any bother with the shop and explain we will still be formally thanking them for the actually good, genuine stuff.

[rokins_toys]

Just do what you finished by saying your approach is after all it is all you can do. In good faith she took some DVD's off them and some turned out to be "home made" copies of porno's. No big deal really. I'm sure she'll understand.

[lofty100e]

Depending on the quantity of discs maybe donate an approx equal number bought from a charity shop. As long as the person who donated does not win them back they would not know of the switch.

[damian_steele]

Tell her straight. Give her the dodgy ones back and suggest she return them to the store with thanks for the good ones but ask if maybe they included some others by mistake.

If it's all up front then nobody can accuse anyone of anything untoward.

[Oldandintheway]

You answered your own question in the last paragraph.
That's what I would do.