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.
Sherwood is a city in Pulaski County, Arkansas, United States, and a suburb of Little Rock. According to 2005 Census Bureau estimates, the population of the city was 23,149. Since then, the city has annexed the neighboring community of Gravel Ridge following voting in early 2008, and Sherwood's population as a result has increased to at least 26,381 residents (including 3,232 Gravel Ridge residents), ranking it as the 16th largest city in Arkansas, behind Benton. It is part of the Little Rock–North Little Rock–Conway Metropolitan Statistical Area.