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.
Pinconning is a city in Bay County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,386 at the 2000 census. It is included in the Bay City, Michigan Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is locally noted for production of cheese products, especially Pinconning cheese. M-13 passes directly through Pinconning, and I-75 is only three miles from the heart of the city. Pinconning Area Schools has one high school (Pinconning Area High School), a middle school that shares a building with the high school, and three elementary schools. The school district covers a large portion of northern Bay County, including Pinconning, Linwood, Garfield, Mt. Forest, and Bentley, and part of eastern Gladwin County, including Estey and Rhodes. The Pinconning Spartans high school softball team won state championships in 1989, 1993, and 2000. The volleyball team won a state championship in 1992. The Pinconning Boys Varsity Bowling Team won the State Championship in 2008, with Chad Skinner qualifying second individually while leading Pinconning to a regional title. A weekly newspaper, The Pinconning Journal, is published, and can be mailed around the country.