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.
Au Train is an unincorporated community located in Au Train Township of Alger County in the U.S. state of Michigan. It is in the north of the western section of the Hiawatha National Forest. Au Train is at 46°25′49″N 86°50′12″W / 46.43028°N 86.83667°W / 46.43028; -86.83667. The ZIP code is 49806 and the FIPS place code is 04440. The community sits at the foot of the Au Train River, where it empties into the Au Train Bay of Lake Superior. Its name derived from the French word for "dragging," in reference to travelers being able to drag their canoes along both the river and shore. The area was a landmark for local Native Americans, as the river mouth was the end point of a portage trail between Lake Michigan and Lake Superior. In 1861, the river became a logging run to Lake Superior, with major logging occurring well into the 1880s. The village of Au Train was founded in 1881 when the Detroit, Mackinac and Marquette Railroad was building east from Marquette, and was chosen as the county seat in 1885 before being replaced by Munising. Two structures within the community are listed on the National Register of Historic Places - the Au Train River Bridge over old M-94, and the Paulson House.