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.
Koeltztown is an unincorporated community in southern Osage County, Missouri, United States. It is located about seventeen miles southeast of Jefferson City and is one of the oldest settlements in Osage County. Founded in 1858, the community was named for its first postmaster, August Koeltz. While not Catholic, Koeltz donated land for a Catholic parish to encourage enough settlers to the area to establish a town. During the American Civil War, a few raiders came through but there no major battles in the area. Most European settlers were German immigrants, who arrived in greatest number in the mid- to late-19th century.