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.
Bumpass is an unincorporated community located primarily in Louisa County, Virginia, United States, but covering a small portion of both Spotsylvania and Hanover Counties as well. It has received moderate fame for its unusual name. Named for the Bumpass family (from the French Bon Pas meaning "good step") who lived in the area when it was named. It is known for its many farms, defunct ice cream spoon factory, alpaca ranches, and lumbering operations. It contains most of Lake Anna and several houses and estates from the 18th to early 20th centuries, including Jerdone Castle, a plantation (now lakefront) dating to 1742 that is a Virginia Historic Landmark and listed on the National Register of Historical Places. In addition, Bumpass is the home of Argonaut BioFuels, one of the largest biomass-to-energy facilities in the country currently under construction. Alternate names associated with the locality include Bumpas, Bumpass Station, Bumpass Turnout, Jackson District, Northern District, and Second Turnout.