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.
Anthony is a census-designated place (CDP) in Doña Ana County, New Mexico, USA. The population was 7,904 at the 2000 census. It is located south of Las Cruces on the New Mexico–Texas state line in the Upper Mesilla Valley along Interstate 10. The city is also part of the Las Cruces Metropolitan Statistical Area. In an election held on January 5, 2010, Anthony residents voted in favor of incorporating the community. A total of 561 votes were cast, with 410 (73.1%) supporting the measure and 151 (26.9%) opposed. The new municipality will become official on July 1, 2010. In accordance with New Mexico state law, the city must elect and seat a mayor, city council, and judge by that date.