"Working with the kids was fun"

Had issues with payment after working a gig. After reading many reviews from people who mentioned they hadn’t been paid, I became paranoid and a bit agitated. But they actually worked with me to ensure that I was paid in spite of the payment processing challenges.

"Great company to work for on projects"

I have worked a couple of projects with this team and it has been a pleasant experience! Being in this industry, patience is required and communication. They are transparent and if there's a misunderstanding, they are quick to respond and talk through... I do my job as expected and stay in touch with them through the process, if any changes they are quick to inform. I look forward to working with them again in future projects.

"Great talent"

Great talent - they provided exactly what we needed for a very niche booking in California under a tight time frame! Character actors were great performers and talented, overall great service.

"Great team of people who responded…"

Great team of people who responded quickly with clear communication, warm welcome and fast payment! All good 👍

"Absolutely terrible"

Absolutely terrible charged me over £2000 for a performance at my wedding the costumes were wrong the performance was very amature and after admitting it was poor and only offering £600 back they are now ignoring my emails!

"Absolutely Avoid. Non-Payment of Performers / Contractors."

Kevin Mack and Nancy hired myself as handler, and another performer as mascot, for an event in Toronto, Canada for October 14, 2023. Via Craigslist.

The mascot and I completed the first shift of our job from 10:45am to 2:00pm at Toys 'R Us at 1440 Lawrence Avenue East, in Toronto. The third person on the scene was the Canadian marketing company's team lead / vice president.

During this time, in my text and phone communication with Mr. Mack, we were told payment would be remitted via the Revolut app, but it is not operational for Canada. Mr. Mack responded by telling us to call tech support. We responded by asking for an alternative means. Mr. Mack suggested Western Union. Later, he said we would be paid be eCheck. Even later in the evening, after this incident, Nancy texted me a screenshot of a Google search result claiming that Revolut can be used in Canada. That's for app users who already signed up, in the US or elsewhere. This app withdrew from the Canadian market 2 years ago. Mr. Mack had claimed that his company has paid hundreds of performers in Canada via Revolut. That was clearly a falsehood.

Just prior to the mascot beginning, the first call I received from Mr. Mack - never having spoken, interviewed or worked with him before - he launched into a tirade berating me about asking the marketing VP onsite how our fee was intended to be issued.

Here's where my bad feeling kicked in, because, in fact I had read these TrustPilot reviews before taking on this job, and stupidly I overrode my instincts.

Then, while the mascot was in costume, I texted Mr. Mack to ask for partial - not full - payment in good faith to both myself and the mascot to ensure we would be secured for the afternoon's events, and all of the next day. This, considering that we had shown up already and were doing the job. The Canadian marketing company onsite could attest to that. This was to establish the payment means, it was not a demand for full payment.

We didn't hear anything back. Once the mascot and I had completed this event, we helped pack and load the costume back into the marketing lead's car.

When the marketing lead got Mr. Mack on speakerphone telling him he needed to pay the performers, he was hostile, abrasive and berated all of us, and simply hung up. She then advised us, at 2:00pm, to simply go home rather than proceed to the next event. We did so. The second Canadian marketing company that hired Characters for Hire stated on the phone that they had already paid Mr. Mack his fee.

Those are the facts.

My opinion: There was zero intention up front to issue payment to the performers. Except that in our case, we caught Mr. Mack in the act and cut our losses by leaving. I also believe both Canadian marketing companies who hired Characters for Hire wised up to the fact that they had engaged with, and already paid, a very bad actor. Myself and mascot were not asked further to complete Saturday or Sunday.

Please don't ignore these reviews. I trust they are accurate. In response, Mr. Mack issues fictional replies with baseless accusations.

Addendum based on the response of the company: no, we were not told anything of Revolut the day before, and no, of course we weren't taken off the job. We walked. Why would Mr. Mack remove us from a job that we had started, and was anticipating we would complete naively in good faith so that he could fulfill his own contract but pocket our wages?

Last, since Mr. Mack was offsite, he is welcome to back up his assertion that we "embarrassed him" with facts.

The Mascot did a good job and interacted with many of the kids who saw him wave, dance and give high-fives and hugs. Myself and the marketing company also have photos of the mascot, in costume onsite.

Conclusion: You've been warned. I filed my own complaint with the New York Better Business Bureau.

"the absolute worse company ever"

the absolute worse company ever. RUDE. UNPROFESSIONAL. They avoid paying people AFTER services were carried out. STAY AWAY.

"THEY DO NOT PAY PEOPLE"

-majority of negative reviews discuss LACK OF PAYMENT AND PROFESSIONALISM...SPEAKING UP ABOUT (HONEST) BAD BUSINESS BEHAVIOR IS NOT ILLEGAL.

-CONSISTENTLY DELAYING PAYMENT (AND BOUNCED CHECKS) FOR MONTHS IS A VIOLATION OF STATE AND FEDERAL LAWS (FREELANCE ISNT FREE ACT).

-WITH-HOLDING PAYMENT DUE TO A REVIEW (MONTHS AFTER A JOB WAS COMPLETED) IS ILLEGAL

-FORCING one TO REMOVE A REVIEW AND SIGN AN NDA IN ORDER TO GET PAID FOR A JOB COMPLETED MONTHS AGO IS ILLEGAL

-going out of your way to hide neg reviews by gaslighting, REPORTING/FLAGGING every neg review and THREATENING TO blacklist or sue OVER EVERY NEG REVIEW IS NOT ILLEGAL BUT SKETCHY AF

-LEAVING POSITIVE REVIEWS BY EMPLOYEES OF YOUR OWN COMPANY IS ILLEGAL.
The practice is called “AstroTurfing” and is taken very seriously.

-GIVING PEOPLE INCENTIVE TO LEAVE A REVIEW IN ORDER TO GET PAID NEXT DAY (AND STILL GET DELAYed), OR OFFERING PEOPLE CASH IN ORDER TO POST A REVIEW IS ILLEGAL

-if one THREATENs TO SUE, and fails to appear in COURT when they are being sued, thats called “bail jumping” and is a criminal offense

-If judge rules AGAINST characters for hire, and they still refuse to pay they can serve jail time and have money seized from their account

We do not support dishonest companies like Characters For Hire


PAY YOUR WORKERS!

"Kevin Mack = entitled"

The “CEO” of this company, Kevin Mack, calls me at 9:30pm to say, “You’re a moron”. I haven’t even worked for him or signed a contract! Lol. Let’s go back to see how this started…

I submitted to be an extra via Casting Networks for the San Diego Comic-Com event titled in the contract, “Weiner Event”. I was told text Angela Moore if you’re interested. Which I did on July 5th, I never received a response until I followed up on July 17th. She said they were booked then all of a sudden a spot opened up a few hours later. I mention I’m NU and she asks for my email then sign a contract under the next hour. I get an email from Kevin Mack with the contract that I didn’t sign because it seemed sketchy. Boy did I wish I came across this page beforehand. He then decided to call me at 9:30pm today to ask why I didn’t sign the contact. Keep in mind I never seen this number or knew who this was beforehand. He proceeds to call me a moron and hangs up right before I can respond. Who does that? Let alone the cuck, I mean owner, of the company? I don’t know if he needs to go back to AA or what but that was very unprofessional. I get that I should’ve responded saying I couldn’t go. But I don’t need some random guy telling me I’m a moron at 9:30pm lol. Big shout out to Angela Moore, his other workers, and family who has to put up with him. Best of luck to everyone who reads this, including you big Kev!

"They don't pay their actors..."

I worked for Characters for Hire last year and I still haven't been paid for the events I worked. The entire team of actors I worked with have not seen a dime from this company either. I am a freelance artist, and I can say I have never worked with a more insulting and rude company. We were never paid, never fed during our 11 hour day, and never given costumes or told to bring any. This was one of the more humiliating gigs I've ever worked. If you are interested in investing your money into a company that treats their whole team well, I would not recommend this one. See below for written confirmation that they have well exceeded NYS labor laws.