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.
Winter Haven is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States. The population was 26,487 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2007 estimates, the city had a population of 32,577, making it the second most populated city in Polk County. It is a principal city of the Lakeland–Winter Haven Metropolitan Statistical Area. Winter Haven is best known as the home of Cypress Gardens, a theme park which has recently gone through renovations to add thrill rides, before closing. It was announced on January 21, 2010, that the former site of Cypress Gardens will become Legoland Florida, the second Legoland park in the United States, and the largest in the world. It is expected to open by the end of 2011. Winter Haven was also home to the first Publix supermarket circa 1930.