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.
Bowstring is an unincorporated community in the Bowstring Lake unorganized territory in Itasca County, Minnesota, United States. It is located about 10 miles north of Deer River on Minnesota State Highway 6. The town name appears on some state maps and on highway signage. The U.S. Postal Service accepts mail addressed to Bowstring, which is held for pickup at a contract post office located at the Bowstring Store. The town is named after nearby Bowstring Lake. Its population is about 121 people. Buildings include a church, the Bowstring Store, the USDA fire warden's office, a community center, and several houses. It also features a telephone booth, which was an important feature up until the arrival of cellular phone service in the area in the 1980s. The town has served travelers, tourists, and the area's few permanent residents since being settled in the 1920s.