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.
Clare is a city in Clare and Isabella counties in the U.S. state of Michigan. Located primarily in Clare County, the city had a population of 3,173 at the 2000 census. North-south US 127 forms the eastern boundary for much of the city and has a junction with east-west US 10 on the east side of the city. US 10 connects with Midland, 33 miles to the southeast, and with US 131 at Reed City, 44 miles to the west. US 127 connects with Mount Pleasant, 13 miles to the south, and with Harrison, 14 miles to the north. M-115 has is southern terminus in downtown Clare.