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.
Lathrop is a city located in San Joaquin County, California. The population is currently 17,429 in 2008 Lathrop’s current population is nearly 17,469 and is expected to reach 20,000 by 2012, with a projected “build out” population of 70,000 in next 25 years. Lathrop's average high temperature in January is 54 °F (12 °C) and the average low in January is 38 °F (3 °C). In July, the average high temperature is 94 °F (34 °C) and the average low in July is 61 °F (16 °C). The City of Lathrop is located in Northern San Joaquin Valley at the intersection of I-5 and 120 Freeways. Lathrop is centrally located within a 30-minute commute of Tracy, Manteca, Stockton, Lodi, Modesto, Livermore and Pleasanton.