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.
Hathaway Pines is an unincorporated community in Calaveras County, California, 8 km (5 mi) south of Arnold and 20 km (12.5 mi) northeast of Angels Camp. It lies at an elevation of 3323 feet. Hathaway Pines' post office was established in 1943; it has the zip code 95233. The place's name honors Robert B. Hathaway, a vacation resort promoter who became the first postmaster.