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.
Brownsville is an unincorporated village in West Windsor, Vermont, United States. Located on State Route 44, the village houses a number of administrative offices for the town of West Windsor. The village derives its name from two settlers, John and Briant Brown. The West Windsor Historical Society is in Brownsville and has a wealth of information on the sheep farms and industries that sustained the early residents. Just east of Brownsville is the entrance to Ascutney Mountain Resort, one of the major ski areas in the state. Three of Vermont's covered bridges are nearby. The "Bests" bridge near Churchill Road and the "Bowers" or "Brownsville" bridge are historical landmarks. The "Twigg" bridge on Yale Road was moved to its location by a developer and was heavily damaged by wind in 2002. Slightly south and west of Brownsville is the 656-acre Little Ascutney Wildlife Management Area, a state owned conservation area hosting wildlife such as white-tailed deer, fisher, coyotes, bobcats, beaver and otter.