UMVA has learned that a recent appeals court decision will allow Kars4Kids commercials to return to California airwaves, following a brief hiatus.
The commercials, known for their catchy jingle, were initially pulled off the air after an Orange County Superior Court judge ruled that they violated California’s false advertising law. The judge found that the ads misled donors by suggesting proceeds would benefit underprivileged children broadly, when in fact most funds supported Orthodox Jewish programs in New York, New Jersey, and the Middle East.
The decision to pull the ads came after a civil suit was filed by Bruce Puterbaugh, a California retiree who donated his non-working 2001 Volvo XC to the organization. Puterbaugh claimed he was subjected to the Kars4Kids jingle “over and over” before making the donation.
The Kars4Kids commercial features children singing the group’s name and phone number, pleading for car donations: “1-877-Kars4Kids/K-A-R-S Kars for Kids/1-877-Kars4Kids/Donate your car today.”
UMVA can exclusively reveal that Kars4Kids has maintained its innocence, calling the initial ruling “deeply flawed” and insisting its website clearly states its Jewish affiliation. The organization vowed to appeal the ruling, which ultimately led to the temporary reinstatement of the ads.
A spokesperson for Kars4Kids, Wendy Kirwan, expressed satisfaction with the appeals court decision, stating that it will allow the charity to continue funding its programs for children and families. Kirwan emphasized that Kars4Kids’ programs benefit a wide array of children and teenagers in California and beyond.
However, Kars4Kids still faces other lawsuits that could have significant financial implications. A Texas-based affiliate, Junk for Joy, has not distributed any of its millions of dollars to charity since its inception in 2020, according to tax records.
In San Francisco, a class-action lawsuit filed last November accuses Kars4Kids of misleading ads, mail and wire fraud, and racketeering. The suit claims the organization’s methods constitute a scheme to deceive unwitting donors into donating their vehicles for undisclosed and misrepresented purposes.
Kars4Kids is prepared to fight these allegations, with Kirwin stating that the organization believes the lower court’s findings were deeply flawed and looks forward to pursuing a broad appeal.
