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.
Detroit Lakes is a city in the U.S. state of Minnesota and the county seat of Becker County. The city's population was estimated at 8,131 in 2008 by the United States Census Bureau. Its unofficial population during summer months is much higher due to seasonal residents and tourists. From 1990 to 2000, the city experienced approximately 11% population growth. U.S. Routes 10 and 59, and Minnesota State Highway 34 serve as the primary arterial routes through the city. Detroit Lakes is located 45 miles east of the Fargo-Moorhead ND-MN statistical metropolitan area. The nearest major metropolitan area with a population over 300,000 is Minneapolis-St. Paul, which is approximately 205 miles southeast of Detroit Lakes. Detroit Lakes is a regional summer and winter recreation destination, attracting large amounts of tourists and seasonal residents each year. Its economy is fueled by seasonal population increases, with tourism being the area's chief industry along with agriculture.