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.
Pembina is a city in Pembina County, North Dakota in the United States. The population was 642 at the 2000 census. Pembina is the oldest community in the Dakotas. A fur-trading post was established on the site of present-day Pembina in 1797 and the first permanent settlement started in 1812. Until 1823, Pembina was thought to be in Canada, but in that year United States Army Major Stephen H. Long's survey of the 49th parallel revealed Pembina's location south of the Canada – United States border. The first post office in present-day North Dakota was established in Pembina in 1851. Pembina served as county seat from 1867 to 1911. Pembina is near the northern end of Interstate 29 at the Canada-United States border at Emerson, Manitoba. It is a significant crossing for road traffic headed to and from Winnipeg, Manitoba and is one of three 24-hour ports of entry in North Dakota. Pembina is home to the U.S. satellite plant of Motor Coach Industries, which completes assembly of intercity buses, for customers including Greyhound Lines.