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.
Hopland (formerly, Sanel) is an unincorporated community in Mendocino County, California. It is located on the west bank of the Russian River 13 miles (21 km) south-southeast of Ukiah, at an elevation of 502 feet (153 m). Hopland is a small town of less than 800 people located at the start of the Redwoods of Northern California. It is about two hours drive along U.S. Route 101 north of San Francisco, and a 30-minute drive along State Route 175 to California's largest natural lake Clear Lake. It is a rustic farming community situated amongst oak covered coastal foothills. Summer temperatures can exceed 100 °F. The Hopland Band of Pomo Indians operates the Hopland Sho-Ka-Wah Casino and Bingo on Nokomis Road, which includes a 40,000 sq ft (3,700 m) casino. The Pomo originally lived off the natural resources of the land in Sanel Valley with deer, fish, acorns and berries. In 1996 they opened the casino and through it have funded health, educational and social benefits. Notable establishments in Hopland include the Solar Living Institute (www. solarliving. org), which has regular workshops and is a leader in the eco-education circuit, the Mendocino Brewing Company, which started in 1983 as the Hopland Brewing Company, and Fetzer Vineyards, a major producer of both red and white wines in North America, including Zinfandel, Chardonnay and Merlot. Approximately 5 mi (8 km) east of Hopland is the University of California's Hopland Research and Extension Center (formerly called the "Hopland Field Station"), a 5,300-acre (21.4 km) research and education facility that UC has operated since 1951.