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.
Prairieville is an unincorporated community in Ascension Parish, Louisiana, United States. It is south of Baton Rouge and north of Gonzales, Louisiana. Prairieville is an expanding bedroom suburb of Baton Rouge. Its name comes from the once plentiful pastures and prairies that were visible from Highway 73 (Jefferson Hwy. ) and U.S. 61 Airline Highway. The most notable of these was the Phillips Farm. The farmhouse is still a local landmark in Prairieville, although the original owner died in 2005. The house is lined with live oaks and a white planked fence surrounds the grounds. The pasture was sold off in 1992 at the start of the suburban development and a 250-resident subdivision named "Seven Oaks" surrounds the farm where the pastures were. In 2006, the farmhouse was sold at auction following the death of Dr. Carey A. Phillips. The 40-acre (160,000 m) tract of land (including the house) has been made into a cemetery now called Oak Lane Memorial Park. In recent decades, Prairieville has benefited from immigration out of Baton Rouge, with new residents particularly drawn to the area by its high-performing public schools and low crime rate. Prairieville has an estimated population of 30,000 and is thinking about incorporating; if so, it would be the largest city in Ascension Parish. Prairieville is in one of the fastest growing areas in Louisiana. The latitude of Prairieville is 30.302N. The longitude is -90.971W. Elevation is 23 feet (7.0 m).