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.
Dennis Port (or Dennisport) is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Dennis in Barnstable County, Cape Cod, Massachusetts. At the 2000 census, its population was 3,612. The Swan River roughly demarcates Dennis Port's western border with West Dennis. The village of West Harwich lies directly to Dennis Port's east, with the border demarcated by the median of Division Street. To the north of Dennis Port is South Dennis. Like other villages along Nantucket Sound, Dennis Port features warm-water beaches, like Haigis Beach, Sea Street Beach, and Glendon Road Beach. Many consider these among Cape Cod's most desirable for swimming and windsurfing. By U.S. standards, real estate prices in Dennis Port remain exorbitantly high. Housing stock consists mostly of World War II–era beach cottages built in the Cape Cod architectural style, although many have been expanded or replaced with larger, more contemporary beach houses. Many streets in Dennis Port—particularly those south of Lower County Road, within 0.5 miles of the beaches—evoke the quaint ambiance of an early-20th century seasonal retreat. There are a great deal of hotels, cottage retreats, and businesses geared towards tourists. Famous residents of Dennis Port include U.S. military hero Benjamin F. Baker.