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.
Lithia Springs is an unincorporated area, formerly incorporated as city, located in northeastern Douglas County, Georgia, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 2,072. The city is named for its lithia water springs. Incorporated in 1882, Lithia Springs was dissolved the first time in 1933. Lithia Springs became incorporated again in 1994, only to be Douglas County's second completely internal municipality for seven years, until 2001. In 2001, the citizens voted (80% yea, 20% nay) on March 20 to dissolve the city charter and de-incorporate the city, transferring all assets to the county. The referendum that ended the town was part of the settlement in a lawsuit brought by city residents charging the city should be dissolved because it didn't deliver enough services to justify its existence under state law. During its incorporation until 2001, the former city had five mayors. Its former boundaries are the Cobb County Line to the North and East, Skyview Drive to the South, and U.S. Highway 78 and Old Beulah Rd to the west. Some of the incorporated limits of Douglasville, Georgia occupies some of the territory within Lithia Springs, along Interstate 20, Blair Bridge Road, Lee Road and Thornton Road. Lithia Springs is assigned the United States Postal Service zip code of 30122.