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.
Covington is an independent city in Alleghany County in the state of Virginia. It is one of three cities located in the Roanoke Region. The population was 6,303 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Alleghany County. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines the city of Covington with Alleghany county for statistical purposes. Covington is located at the confluence of Jackson River and Dunlap Creek. The current mayor of Covington is Stephanie Ross Clark, who is the first African-American mayor of Covington as well as the first female mayor. Its media and news needs are served by The Virginian Review newspaper, which has been continuously serving the Alleghany Highlands since August 10, 1914. Fire protection is provided by the Covington Fire Department, which was chartered on March 4, 1902. The Covington Rescue Squad provides emergency medical services to the city of Covington. The squad was organized in 1933 and is the third oldest volunteer rescue squad in the commonwealth of Virginia.