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.
The Village of Farmingdale is located within the Town of Oyster Bay in Nassau County, New York in the United States. The population was 8,399 at the 2000 census. As of 2008 the mayor is George Starkie. "Farmingdale" is also associated with several unincorporated areas outside the village limits, including South Farmingdale (also in the Town of Oyster Bay within Nassau County), and East Farmingdale. Many nearby places not within the village limits have "Farmingdale" as their postal address. Farmingdale Union Free School District (UFSD 22) includes parts of both Nassau County and Suffolk County.