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.
Augusta is a city in St. Charles County, Missouri, United States. The population was 218 at the 2000 census. The town boasts wineries, antique shops, retaurants, B&B's, a wood shop, a glass studio, massage therapy, and The Augusta Brewery. Most notably, the Town of Augusta is home to two wineries, Augusta Winery and Mount Pleasant Winery, along with Balducci Winery and Montelle Winery (also in the Augusta zip code) and other wineries nearby. The Augusta area was recognized by the federal government in 1980 as the first designated American Viticultural Area in the United States, beating out Napa Valley. The concentration of wineries along SH 94 has led to the road's being called the Missouri Weinstrasse (wine road). The larger region on both sides of the river nearly to Jefferson City is called the Missouri Rhineland. Augusta is a popular stop along the Katy Trail, a 225-mile-long bike and walking path built along a former railroad right-of-way.