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.
Barre is a city in Washington County, Vermont, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 9,291. Barre City is almost completely surrounded by Barre (town), Vermont, which is incorporated separately from the City of Barre. Barre is often twinned with nearby Montpelier in local media and businesses. It is the main city in the Barre Micropolitan area which, at 59,564 residents, is the 3rd largest in Vermont. Barre itself is the largest city in Washington County, and is the 4th largest city and the 10th largest municipality in Vermont.