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.
Cook Station is an unincorporated community in southern Crawford County, Missouri, United States. It is located about ten miles south of Steelville. Cook Station was formerly a stop on the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad Line. The Dunlap Hotel is still located there, as well as a general store and a bank. There were regularly dances in town in the 30s and 40s, and the area became a popular destination as a swimming area in the 50’s and 60’s after the train stopped coming through. The original general store was destroyed by fire and rebuilt in 1905. Most of the population of Cook Station lives on the surrounding farms that make up what is considered Cook Station. There are quite a few cattle, goat, and dairy farms in this general area. Cook Station is located very near the beginning of the Meramec River, and often sees spring flooding throughout the valley it is located in.