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.
Bealeton is a small unincorporated community in Fauquier County, Virginia, at the intersection of State Route 28 and U.S. Route 17. Public schools in Bealeton include Grace Miller Elementary, Cedar Lee Middle, and Liberty High School. Bealeton is home to its own Post Office with ZIP Code, 22712, and has a population of 6,884 (US Census Report, 2000). On May 15, 2006, ground was broken on a 5,960-square-foot (554 m), $2.3 million dollar post office to replace the old one. It was completed in 2007.