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.
Hollidaysburg is a borough in Blair County, Pennsylvania, on the Juniata River, 7 miles (11 km) south of Altoona. It is the county seat of Blair County. It is part of the Altoona, Pennsylvania, Metropolitan Statistical Area and is one of the communities that comprises the Altoona Urban Area. In 1910, 3,734 lived there, and in 1940, 5,910 residents were counted. The population was 5,368 at the 2000 census. On the outskirts of Hollidaysburg are the Ant Hill Woods, famous for their colony of ants. Coal, iron ore, ganister, and limestone are found in the vicinity. In the past, the borough had foundries and machine shops, a silk mill, car works and classification yards. In 1900, 2,998 people lived in the borough. From 1834 to 1854, the borough was an important port on Pennsylvania Main Line Canal, where the Juniata Division Canal connected to the Allegheny Portage Railroad. The famous toy known as the Slinky is manufactured within Hollidaysburg by Poof-Slinky, Inc. (formerly James Industries, Inc.). More than a quarter billion Slinkys have been manufactured in the toy's history. The center of Hollidaysburg is frequently referred to as "The Diamond," where the buildings and parking spaces form a diamond. This area serves as the hub for parades, festivals and other town celebrations.