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.
Bainbridge is a town in Monroe Township, Putnam County, Indiana, United States. The population was 743 at the 2000 census. This town was named after the prominent war hero of the time William Bainbridge. He was one of the captains of the original 6 frigates of the US navy. When Indiana officially became a state in 1816, Bainbridge's name was as well known and revered then as any celebrity today. He is perhaps most notoriously known, however, for grounding the U.S.S. Philadelphia on shoals outside of Tripoli. Bainbridge was good friends with Stephen Decatur (another prominent captain), who is honored to have Decatur, IN also named after him.