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.
Scottville is a city in Mason County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 1,266 at the 2000 census. The city of Scottville itself is approximately 10 miles east of Ludington, in rural Mason County. Ludington is the county seat for Mason County. Ludington is considered a tourist town and many major recreational events are scheduled in the summer months with the Scottville Clown Band. On July 23, 2007 Governor Jennifer Granholm announced Scottville as the community chosen by the Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) to take part in the Cool Cities Michigan Main Street program. Scottville will receive five years of intensive technical assistance through MSHDA, to help create opportunities for new development, economic growth and jobs. A similar award, the Blueprints for Downtowns award, were announced to be received by the communities of Caro, Clio and Ypsilanti.