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.
Newington is a census-designated place (CDP) in affluent, suburban Fairfax County, Virginia, United States. The population was 19,784 at the 2000 census. While the ZIP code for Newington is 22122, this is only for delivery points within the post office itself. Homes and businesses in the CDP have Springfield or Lorton street addresses. The area is poised for a great challenge as the U.S. Army in 2006 announced controversial plans to relocate 16,000 personnel positions to the Fort Belvoir Proving Ground in the new few years as part of the Base Realignment and Closure program, despite already gridlocked traffic and inadequate public transportation services in the neighborhood.