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.
Byfield is a parish in the town of Newbury, in Essex County, Massachusetts, in the United States. It borders West Newbury, Georgetown, and Rowley. It is located about 30 miles north-northeast of Boston, along Interstate 95, about 10 miles south of the border between New Hampshire and Massachusetts. Byfield Snuff Co. was a successful business at the beginning of the twentieth century. Byfield was also the home of Governor William Dummer. The village was granted a ZIP Code (01922) and post office following a visit from John F. Kennedy when he was visiting Governor Dummer Academy, a prep school located in Byfield near U.S. 1. The village consists of mainly residential homes with a few local businesses. It also contains the Newbury town library and Triton Regional High School, which serves three towns, as well as the prestigious private academy Governor's Academy (previously known as Governor Dummer Academy after one of the founders of the Newbury area). An arts center and Pearson's deer farm are also located in Byfield. An festival called "Byfield Days" takes place during the first weekend in July, including the crowning of Miss Byfield and a woodsmen's contest.