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.
Leggett (formerly, Leggett Valley) is an unincorporated community in Mendocino County, California. It is located on the South Fork of the Eel River 17 miles (27 km) northwest of Laytonville, at an elevation of 984 feet (300 m). It is home to some of the largest trees in the world. Nearby Smithe Redwood State Reserve and the Standish-Hickey State Recreation Area are noted for their forests of Coastal Redwoods. Leggett is served by California's State Route 1, whose northern terminus with U.S. Route 101 is just outside the community. The town of Leggett includes a single gas station, K-12 school, two convenience stores, pizza parlor, fire station and Drive-Thru Tree. The Leggett post office opened in 1949.