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.
Manns Harbor is an unincorporated community in Dare County, North Carolina. Located along U.S. Highway 64 at the eastern terminus of U.S. Highway 264, Manns Harbor used to harbor the ferry that transversed the Croatan Sound and provided access to Roanoke Island. Today, the William B. Umstead Bridge and the newly constructed 4-lane Virginia Dare Bridge link Manteo, North Carolina to the mainland. This community provides a gateway to North Carolina's Outer Banks.