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.
Tulare is a city in Tulare County, California, United States. The population was 43,994 at the 2000 census. As of 2007 it is estimated that 55,935 live within the city limits. Just eight miles (13 km) south of Visalia, it is considered part of the Census Bureau's designation of the Visalia Metropolitan Area. The city is named for Tulare Lake, once the largest freshwater lake west of the Great Lakes, currently drained. Tulare Union High School, Tulare Western High School, and Mission Oak High School are located within the city of Tulare.