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.
Emmitsburg was founded in 1785 and is in Frederick County, Maryland, United States, just south of the Mason-Dixon line separating Maryland from Pennsylvania. Emmitsburg's population was 2,290 at the 2000 census. It is the home of Mount St. Mary's University. The National Emergency Training Center, The National Fallen FireFighter's Memorial and Emergency Management Institute are also located in Emmitsburg on the former campus of St. Joseph's College. The current mayor of Emmitsburg is James E. "Jim" Hoover.