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.
Winchester is a town in Cheshire County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 4,144 at the 2000 census. The primary settlement in the town, where over 44% of the population resides, is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau as the Winchester census-designated place (CDP) and is located at the intersection of New Hampshire Routes 10, 119, and 78. The town of Winchester includes the village of Ashuelot and part of Pisgah State Park.