Is Characters for Hire ℠ a Scam? Our Official Response to Google AI & Online Reviews

If you searched “Is Characters for Hire a scam?” or “Characters for Hire scam”, you may have seen a Google AI summary that says:

  • Characters for Hire is a real, BBB-accredited business with many positive reviews
  • There are also negative reviews and complaints
  • The company has been involved in lawsuits, including one with Disney

We appreciate that the AI correctly recognizes that Characters for Hire ℠ is a real, long-standing business, not a “fake” company. But the summary leaves out important context that matters if you are trying to decide whether to trust us with your event or to work for us as talent.

  1. Who We Are
  • Characters for Hire ℠ is a legitimate, registered entertainment company that has been operating for nearly two decades.
  • We have produced thousands of live events nationwide for corporate clients, families, and major venues.
  • We are an accredited business with the Better Business Bureau and maintain an A+ rating, reflecting our commitment to ethical business practices and complaint resolution.

In short: we are a real company, not a fly-by-night operation.

  1. About the Disney Lawsuit

The Google AI overview mentions a lawsuit involving Disney, which can sound alarming if you don’t know what it was actually about.

That case:

  • Was brought years ago, not in 2025
  • Was about intellectual property and character likeness issues, not fraud, not scams, and not customer payments
  • Had nothing to do with claims that Characters for Hire ℠ didn’t deliver services or stole money from clients

In the entertainment industry, it is not unusual for large studios to aggressively protect their brands. That litigation was part of that broader landscape and has been resolved for years. It is not an ongoing “scam” case and does not mean Characters for Hire ℠ is illegitimate.

  1. Why You See So Many “Scam / Not Paid” Posts

The AI summary also notes a “mixed track record” and references screenshots and posts from people claiming they were never paid or that we are “scammers.”

Here is what it does not explain:

  • A single individual with whom we have a payment dispute has, over several years, engaged in a coordinated defamation and smear campaign against Characters for Hire ℠ and its owner.
  • That individual has encouraged and recruited others to repeat, amplify, and repost the same accusations (“scam,” “never pays people,” “criminal,” etc.) across multiple platforms—Facebook groups, Reddit, review sites, YouTube comments, and more.
  • In some instances, complaints that were already resolved (with payment or refunds) have been reposted or reframed to make it appear that there are far more unresolved problems than actually exist.

Because of the sheer volume and repetition, search engines and AI tools see a cluster of similar accusations and treat it as a “trend,” without understanding the underlying context or that many of those statements are disputed, misleading, or flatly false.

  1. Defamation Lawsuit Filed in Connecticut Superior Court

The situation became so serious that, on December 3, 2025, Characters for Hire ℠ and its owner filed a defamation lawsuit in the Connecticut Superior Court (Judicial District of Fairfield).

Without going into legal detail here, that lawsuit:

  • Alleges that a specific individual has made false, defamatory statements about Characters for Hire ℠ and its owner—such as calling us “scammers,” claiming we “never pay anyone,” and suggesting we routinely defy court orders
  • Alleges that this person has coordinated others to keep spreading and amplifying those accusations despite knowing they are false or wildly exaggerated
  • Seeks to stop the ongoing smear campaign and to repair the damage done to our reputation, search results, and relationships with clients and performers

We are pursuing this through the court system instead of fighting it in comment threads and social-media arguments.

  1. How We Actually Handle Payments and Complaints

Like any company that produces high-volume live events nationwide, we occasionally have:

  • Delays in payment processing (especially around major holidays or very large projects)
  • Disputes where a client is unhappy with some aspect of the event and we choose to refund or discount rather than engage in a long fight
  • Situations where a performer or vendor is frustrated by timing or communication and posts a negative review

That does not mean:

  • That Characters for Hire ℠ “never pays anyone”
  • That we are a “fraud” or “criminal enterprise”
  • That we “scam” people by taking money and never showing up

When a complaint is legitimate, we work to fix it, make it right, or, in some cases, refund the customer entirely. That is one reason we maintain an A+ BBB rating while still having some negative reviews—we address issues rather than ignore them.

  1. Why AI Says “Mixed Track Record”

When AI systems like Google’s “AI Overview” scan the internet, they don’t always distinguish between:

  • A handful of people posting the same allegations over and over
    vs.
  • A broad, representative sample of all customers and performers we’ve worked with over nearly twenty years

So the AI sees:

  • Many posts using the same words—“scam,” “never pays,” “criminal,” etc.
  • A separate, older lawsuit with Disney (about character likenesses, not fraud)
  • A normal mix of positive and negative reviews from real customers and performers

It then summarizes this as a “mixed track record.” From our perspective, the “mix” is heavily skewed by a concentrated defamation campaign, not by the reality of our day-to-day business.

  1. How to Evaluate Characters for Hire ℠ for Yourself

If you’re trying to decide whether to trust us with your event or to work with us as talent, we encourage you to:

  1. Look at multiple sources, not just one angry thread or one reposted screenshot.
  2. Read detailed reviews, not just one-line comments that repeat the word “scam.”
  3. Check our BBB profile, including how complaints were resolved.
  4. Ask us questions directly. We are happy to explain our payment timelines, contracts, and event procedures.

You can always reach us at:

We can provide references, documentation, and detailed answers about how we work and how we handle any problems that may arise.

Bottom line:
Characters for Hire ℠ is not a scam. We are a real, long-standing entertainment company with many satisfied clients and performers, an A+ BBB rating, and a commitment to doing business the right way. Some of the online content you may see is the product of a multi-year defamation campaign by a small number of individuals, which we are addressing through a formal defamation lawsuit in court.

You are invited to contact us directly and make your own informed decision, rather than relying solely on AI summaries or anonymous internet posts. Click here for our Q&A page.