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.
Margaretville is a village in Delaware County, New York, United States. The population was 643 at the 2000 census. The Village of Margaretville is in the Town of Middletown. The village is on the border of the Catskill Park. Margaretville is located at 42°8′51″N 74°39′4″W / 42.1475°N 74.65111°W / 42.1475; -74.65111 (42.147496, -74.651090). According to the United States Census Bureau, the village has a total area of 0.7 square miles (1.8 km), all of it land. Margaretville was the boyhood home of Dr. Orvan Hess, inventor of the fetal heart monitor and one of the first doctors to successfully treat a patient with penicillin. Hess was influenced by beloved Margaretville physician, Dr. Gordon Maurer.