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.
Russell Springs is the largest city in Russell County, Kentucky, United States. The area had thrived since the 1850s as a health resort because of its location near a chalybeate spring. The town itself was founded in 1850 by Samuel Patterson and was referred to as Big Boiling Springs. The post office was first established on May 17, 1855, and named "Kimble", in honor leading businessman of George Kimble. In 1901 the town was renamed Russell Springs. The population was 2,399 at the 2000 census.