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.
Lost Hills (formerly, Lost Hill) is a census-designated place (CDP) in Kern County, California, United States. Lost Hills is located 42 miles (68 km) west-northwest of Bakersfield, at an elevation of 305 feet (93 m). The population is 1,938 at the 2000 census. About 75% of the population is engaged in agricultural positions. In Lost Hills, two-thirds of its workers carpool to work in pickup trucks or vans. Many residents work in the same field or orchard as their neighbors. A rest stop by Interstate 5 including restaurants, gasoline stations, and motels is located about one mile (1.6 km) from the town.