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.
Vineyard Haven is a census-designated place (CDP) in the town of Tisbury on Martha's Vineyard in Dukes County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 2,048 at the 2000 census. Known by the original Wampanoag inhabitants as Nobnocket, this area was first referred to by the colonial settlers as Homes Hole; "Homes" from a Wampanoag term for "old man," and "Hole" meaning a sheltered inlet. By the 1800s it was more commonly spelled Holmes Hole after the descendants of John Holmes (1730–1812) who had settled in the village during the second half of the eighteenth century. In 1871 the village officially changed its name to Vineyard Haven. Though the name Vineyard Haven technically refers only to one section of the town of Tisbury, the names are used interchangeably, with Vineyard Haven now being a commonly used title for the whole town. Vineyard Haven is the main port of entry to Martha's Vineyard, and one of the three main population centers. The Steamship Authority wharf is located in Vineyard Haven, at which ferries arrive and depart year-round. (A second, seasonal wharf is located in neighboring Oak Bluffs. ) Although the year-round population is only about 2,000 people, its population increases tremendously in the summer, as most houses on the Vineyard are owned by summer residents.