The infamous Kars4Kids jingle may finally be disappearing from California airwaves. A judge has permanently barred the nonprofit from broadcasting its catchy “1-877-Kars4Kids” ads in the state unless the commercials clearly disclose where donation money actually goes. The ruling stems from a lawsuit brought by California resident Bruce Puterbaugh, who donated his 2001 Volvo to the charity before later claiming he felt misled by the organization’s advertising. Puterbaugh argued the commercials gave the impression that proceeds benefited underprivileged children broadly across California and the U.S., without mentioning the charity’s ties to Orthodox Jewish educational programs primarily based in New York and New Jersey. The court ultimately sided with Puterbaugh, finding the omission amounted to deceptive advertising. The lawsuit accused the organization of primarily using donated funds to help finance trips to Israel and other programs for Orthodox Jewish teens rather than the broader children’s causes many donors may have assumed they were supporting. The judge also ordered Kars4Kids to reimburse Puterbaugh $250 for his donated vehicle along with covering legal costs.
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Judge orders Kars4Kids jingle off the air
The infamous Kars4Kids jingle may finally be disappearing from California airwaves. A judge has permanently barred the nonprofit from broadcasting its catchy “1-877-Kars4Kids” ads in the state unless the commercials clearly disclose where donation money actually goes. The ruling stems from a lawsuit brought by California resident Bruce Puterbaugh, who donated his 2001 Volvo to the charity before later claiming he felt misled by the...
