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.
Seagrove is a town in Randolph County, North Carolina, United States. The population was 246 at the 2000 census. The name is derived from a railroad official. The center of population of North Carolina is located a few miles east of Seagrove. Seagrove is notable for its many potteries, and it is sometimes referred to as the "pottery capital of North Carolina", or even pottery capital of the world. In this usage, the name Seagrove not only refers to the town proper, but includes several other communities that are part of the pottery tradition along and near the North Carolina Pottery Highway. Over 100 potteries are located in Seagrove and the neighboring towns of Star, Whynot, Erect, Westmoore, and Robbins. Seagrove is also home to the North Carolina Pottery Center, which was established on November 7, 1998 and has since received visitors across the continent and around the world.