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.
Descanso is a small unincorporated community in San Diego County, east of Alpine and west of Pine Valley of about 2,162 residents. The community's name is a Spanish word meaning a place of rest. At a 3,450 feet (1,050 m) elevation it is located at the south entrance to Cuyamaca Rancho State Park and also borders Cleveland National Forest to the west and east. The area was heavily threatened by the 2003 Cedar Fire. The community consists of many small ranches and newer homes of San Diego commuters. Horseback riding and hiking are a frequent pastimes due to the close proximity to San Diego's back country recreation areas. Its is approximately a 50 minute commute from downtown San Diego. The Descanso Fire Station of the United States Forest Service is home to the Laguna Hotshots. Descanso is home to many firefighters, and many local teenagers join either the Forest Service or the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (which also provides direct fire and EMS protection to the community). The ZIP Code is 91916 and the community is inside area code 619.