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.
Eureka is the county seat and principal city in Humboldt County, California, United States. Located adjacent to Humboldt Bay 270 miles north of San Francisco, the port city of 26,097 (2007) residents is situated near extensive preserves of the world's tallest trees - the Coast Redwoods. The city, a major player in the historic west coast lumber trade, is the site of hundreds of Victorian homes, including the Carson Mansion. This architecturally and historically significant coastal city serves as the regional center for government, health care, trade, and the arts for the far North Coast of California.