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.
South Woodstock is an unincorporated village in the town of Woodstock in Windsor County, Vermont, United States. Its elevation is 1,040 feet (317 m), and it is located at 43°33′56″N 72°31′56″W / 43.56556°N 72.53222°W / 43.56556; -72.53222 (43.5656256, -72.5323158), in the Kedron Valley. A post office was established in South Woodstock in 1828; today, its ZIP code is 05071. The ZCTA for ZIP Code 05071 had a population of 456 at the 2000 census. The ZCTA includes large areas outside the village district and includes the entire southern portion of the town of Woodstock. Once a center of sheep husbandry, South Woodstock is split between commercial and residential areas. Beside the post office, public services in the community include a volunteer fire department; moreover, Woodstock maintains a local police department. The South Woodstock Village Historic District was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1983. The historic district consists of 44 contributing and 11 non-contributing properties over an area of 360 acres. The district includes examples of Greek Revival and Federal architecture from before the Civil War. Notable buildings include an 1825 school that became a Grange Hall, the South Chapel (1839), and the Perkins Academy (1848).