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.
The community of Coyote (originally Burnett) is located in Coyote Valley on Coyote Creek between south San Jose, California, and north Morgan Hill, California, on Monterey Highway (the former Highway 101). Its ZIP Code is 95013; there is a small U. S. Post Office. Geographical coordinates are 37°12′59″N, 121°44′20″W. Coyote is notable for its historic Grange Hall close to the Post Office and the Metcalf Energy Center. The town's name was changed because residents saw many coyotes in the area. The town nearly disappeared after highway 101 was rerouted 1 mile east of the city. The community was nearly absorbed by San Jose, California by urban sprawl until the dot com bust canceled the city's plans, San Jose however still owns the area after purchasing it in that era.