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.
Goldvein is an unincorporated hamlet in Fauquier County, Virginia, running along US Route 17, and located approximately 15 miles northwest of Fredericksburg, Virginia at latitude 38.45 & longitude -77.66. It has a population of approximately 200. It is home to Monroe Park, which houses a museum of Virginia gold mining. At one time, there were up to 18 active gold mines in the Goldvein area, although none of them are still active commercially.