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.
Bedford Hills is an unincorporated hamlet in the Town of Bedford, New York. When the railroad was built in 1847, Bedford Hills was known as Bedford Station. Bedford Hills extends from a business center at the railroad station to farms and estates, eastward along Harris, Babbitt and Bedford Center Roads and south along the Route 117 business corridor up to Mt. Kisco Bedford Hills is the seat of government of the Town of Bedford. The Town House, built in 1927, and Town buildings containing the Police Department and Town offices are located in the hamlet. The hamlet is also the site of the Bedford Hills Correctional Facility for Women, the largest women's prison in New York State. Also located within Bedford Hills is Nino's Restaurant which is famous for its high end celebrity clientèle. Bedford Hills is the site of Stepping Stones, the historic home of Alcoholics Anonymous co-founder Bill W. and his wife Lois Burnham Wilson, founder of Al-Anon/Alateen. The home, located at 62 Oak Road in Katonah, is on the National Register of Historic Places, and has become a tour destination for members of 12-Step organizations. The Bedford Hills Free Library is located in Bedford Hills and is a member of the Westchester Library System. Bedford Hills Elementary School is a PreK-5 school which many children in the town attend.