ORANGE COUNTY, Calif. — The Kars4Kids jingle has been stuck in Americans’ collective heads for nearly 30 years.
Now, thanks to a judge’s ruling, that could be coming to an end.
The ruling comes from a case in California, where the long-running non-profit was accused of violating the state’s false advertising laws.
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Kars4Kids advertises across the United States, including in Georgia, asking donors to provide cars.
The organization then sells the vehicles for cash to fund charitable work, but a judge says the advertisements could be misleading after a donor sued the organization.
The donor said he believed the proceeds would go to help children in need, but sued over where the funds go instead.
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“They knew what they were doing,” attorney Anthony Graham said. “The ad is extraordinarily impactful.”
Graham represents the donor suing the organization. He said the money has been going to Orthodox Jewish programs in New York, New Jersey and the Middle East.
“We have to show that they knowingly misled the public and it’s not an easy thing to do but we did it,” Graham said.
The ruling in California says the ad misleads people to believe the money is used to support kids generally and banned the ad from playing California, beginning June 8.
In a statement shared with ABC News, Kars4Kids said “We believe this case was nothing more than a lawyer-driven attempt to siphon off charitable funds for their own gain. We expect to win on appeal because the law and facts are clearly on our side.”
Legal expert Michael Kelber said the case could bring concerns for other charities, not just Kars4Kids.
“It will make many charities a little concerned that a case like this can be brought, and checking whether their disclosures are adequate,” Kelber said.
For now, the ad can still play on Georgia airwaves, though Kars4Kids is facing a federal class action lawsuit with similar allegations, too.
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