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.
Downsville, New York is a hamlet and former village within the town of Colchester in Delaware County, New York. It is the site of the Downsville Bridge, a covered bridge and the historic Union Free School. Downsville is located on the East Branch of the Delaware River. A dam on this portion of the river, at Downsville, was completed by New York City in 1954, creating the Pepacton Reservoir, which is part of the New York City water supply system. Downsville Central School, located on Maple Avenue, serves families from the surrounding areas, including municipalities as far away as East Branch. Downsville Central School's colors are purple and white and their mascot is the Eagle.