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LogDog75

(885 posts)
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 02:47 PM Sunday

Car donation scam alert

The FTC and 22 states stopped their deceptive charity fundraising practice of Kars-R-Us.com. Kars-R-Us .com ran ads for donating cars to the and the proceeds would go for low-cost breast cancer screenings. Of more than $45 million it raised only about $127,000 went for breast cancer screening. $39.4 million went to the operators of Kars-R-Us.com and its vendors.
https://www.ftc.gov/news-events/news/press-releases/2025/09/ftc-19-states-act-stop-deceptive-cancer-charity-fundraising-scheme

Be wary of donating your car to any charity because the amount of money they give to charity may instead be going to the pockets of the people operating the charity.









14 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
Highlight: NoneDon't highlight anything 5 newestHighlight 5 most recent replies

Ocelot II

(127,484 posts)
1. I wouldn't donate a dime to Kars-R-Us just because their ads are so horrendously irritating.
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 02:49 PM
Sunday

SoFlaBro

(3,660 posts)
2. I understand that the people that run that hunk of shit business are a piss soaked pack of MAGA fuckwads.
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 02:53 PM
Sunday

Totally Tunsie

(11,288 posts)
8. Kars4Kids is a Jewish organization. They are not, according to Google, related to Kars-R-Us.
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 03:37 PM
Sunday

My question to Google: Is Kars4Kids a Jewish organization?
AI Overview
Yes, Kars4Kids is a Jewish non-profit organization that accepts car donations to fund educational, youth development, and mentoring programs, often through its sister charity, Oorah. The organization has been a household name due to its prominent jingle and offers services in the United States and Canada, though some critics have questioned the transparency of its advertising and fundraising costs, as well as the extent to which donations directly benefit the beneficiaries compared to administrative and advertising expenses.


My question to Google: Are Kars4Kids related to Kars-R-Us?
AI Overview
No, "Cars for Kids" is a name associated with at least two different, unrelated charities: Kars4Kids and the Texas-based America Can!. There is also a charity known as "Cars R Us" which appears to be distinct from the other two organizations mentioned in the inquiry, though its association with car donation is unclear from the search results.

Kars4Kids
A nationally recognized, non-profit organization that sponsors Jewish educational and youth programs.
Has been criticized for insufficient disclosure of its work.

America Can!
A Texas-based charity that has engaged in legal disputes with Kars4Kids over the use of the name "Cars for Kids".

A Texas-based charity that has engaged in legal disputes with Kars4Kids over the use of the name "Cars for Kids".
Its goal is to help local youth who have dropped out of school to return and earn their GEDs.
Cars R Us
The name "Cars R Us" is mentioned but does not appear to be a well-known charity in car donation.
It's important to confirm that any "Cars R Us" you encounter is a legitimate organization.

Totally Tunsie

(11,288 posts)
11. No surprise, tho. That happens all the time.
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 03:52 PM
Sunday

That's why anti-scam articles always tell you to double-check even the smallest of items when replying to what seems like a legit company. Sometimes it's a mere change in capitalization or addition of punctuation. The name reads correctly, but you're replying to a very different group. (NOTE: These are my made-up examples.) i.e. AllAmerican.com vs All.American.com. One of these things is not like the other!

Raven123

(7,100 posts)
3. What I don't understand is the slap on the hand monetary penalty
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 02:59 PM
Sunday

If I read correctly, it seems to amount to about $4 million. Maybe there something I missed

rsdsharp

(11,368 posts)
4. I didn't donate to Kars-R-Us, but whatever they got for my 2004 PT Cruiser
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 02:59 PM
Sunday

they were welcome to pocket.

hlthe2b

(111,526 posts)
7. National Public Radio is the only one I'd consider. I know several who have donated to them.
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 03:14 PM
Sunday

LogDog75

(885 posts)
12. My local PBS station is the only one I'd donate a car to after I buy a new car
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 04:43 PM
Sunday

There are a lot of charities I could donate a car to but, IMO, many of them don't provide the bulk of the money to the people they say they're serving but instead use the money to pay the charity executives very high salaries.

ProfessorGAC

(74,631 posts)
14. American Lung Association Is Ok
Sun Sep 28, 2025, 05:18 PM
Sunday

That's who we donated our last 2 cars to.
They get 4 stars from Charity Navigator. (99% score) by contrast Kars4Kids is 2 star & 71%.
The American Cancer Society is not rated by CN but is highly respected.
Your choice of a local PBS is a good one. PBS as a whole is 4 stars & 94%.

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