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.
Mineola is a village in Nassau County, New York, USA. The population was 19,233 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a Native American word meaning a "pleasant place. " The majority of the Village of Mineola is located in the Town of North Hempstead, with a slim portion of its southern edge within the Town of Hempstead. Old Country Road runs along the southern border of the village. The area serviced by the Mineola Post Office extends further south into the adjacent village of Garden City, New York, where the county seat of Nassau County is located. Offices of many Nassau agencies are located in both Mineola and Garden City.