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.
Berea is a city in Madison County, Kentucky, United States. The population was 9,851 at the 2000 census, a 2008 estimate put the population at 14,431. It is the fastest growing town in Kentucky and one of the fastest growing in the nation, having increased by 43.4% since 2000. Its most prominent institution is Berea College, which owns a substantial percentage of the city's land. Due to the high number of arts and crafts produced, Berea is a tourist attraction. It hosts several Crafts Festivals throughout the year. Berea also hosts a Spoonbread Festival in mid-September, which features a cornmeal bread traditionally served with a wooden spoon. Berea is a principal city of the Richmond–Berea Micropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Madison and Rockcastle counties.