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.
Frostburg is a city in Allegany County, Maryland, United States located at the head of the Georges Creek Valley. It is part of the Cumberland, MD-WV Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 7,873 at the 2000 census. Located eight miles (13 km) west of Cumberland, Maryland, the town is one of the first cities on the "National Road", US 40, and the western terminus of the Western Maryland Scenic Railroad. Since 1991, the city has been served by Interstate 68. The City of Frostburg has an approximate year-round population of 8,075. In addition, 5,400 students attend Frostburg State University, a public university within the University System of Maryland. There have been several annexations in the City of Frostburg during 2009, and it is the only area of Allegany County which has shown growth within the last five years. Frostburg was originally called Mount Pleasant until 1820, when the government developed a postal service, and the town was renamed Frostburg.