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.
Crewe is a town in Nottoway County, Virginia, United States. The population was 2,378 at the 2000 census. It was founded in 1888 as a central location to house steam locomotive repair shops for the Norfolk and Western Railroad which has a rail yard there for east-west trains carrying Appalachian coal to Hampton Roads for export abroad, and the street pattern was laid out at that time. It was named for the large railroad town of Crewe, England. The railroad repair facility's importance diminished sharply in the 1950s, as the switch to diesel-electric locomotives required less labor and equipment. Crewe has a small railroad museum. Lottie Moon, a noted Baptist missionary to China, is buried in the town cemetery. A chicken festival is held each third Wednesday in June. The Battle of Sayler's Creek, the last American Civil War engagement before the official surrender, occurred nearby. The Southside Electric Cooperative and the Piedmont Geriatric Hospital are in the vicinity as well.