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.
Discovery Bay is a census-designated place (CDP) in Contra Costa County, California in the United States about 60 miles (97 km) from San Francisco. As of 2006, the town's population was about 16,500. Discovery Bay is based on a waterfront community of 3,500+ homes with private docks with access to the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta. Now Discovery Bay has grown and added Discovery Bay West which features gated and non-gated "off-water" communities with homes from 1,400 square feet (130 m) up to 4,700 square feet (440 m). In July 2007 Discovery Bay celebrated its maturity into its own community by changing the zip code from 94514 (which it shared with the neighboring town Byron) to 94505. A huge town celebration ensued with a world record-setting paddle boat raft-up.