Consumer protection refers to the laws designed to aid retail consumers of goods and services that have been improperly manufactured, delivered, performed, handled, or described. Such laws provide the retail consumer with additional protections and remedies not generally provided to merchants and others who engage in business transactions, on the premise that the consumers do not enjoy a sufficient bargaining position with respect to the businessmen with whom they deal and therefore should not be strictly limited by the legal rules that govern recovery for damages among businessmen. The overarching goal is to protect individuals and the interest of the public in general from unfair and misleading activity in business and commerce (such as false advertising and deceptive trade practices) and scams perpetrated by criminals (such as identity theft and pyramid schemes) that harm a substantial number of consumers.
Harpersville is a town in Shelby County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,620. The small town is growing due to the growth of big business on Highway 280. The town contains Morgan Creek Winery, Baker's Christmas Tree Farm, a historic graveyard, Sunbelt sod farm, a drive in movie theater, numerous cotton fields, a public park, two private schools, and numerous subdivisions. The current mayor, Theoangelo Perkins, is the first African American mayor in Shelby County.