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.
Preston is a small unincorporated exurban community located 22 miles (35 km) east of Seattle in King County, Washington, United States. The community was named after railway official William T. Preston. Preston is a historic mill town on the northeast edge of the large Tiger Mountain State Forest, along Interstate 90. Because Preston, elevation 430 ft, is located within commuting distance of Seattle and Bellevue, Preston is increasingly becoming a wealthy bedroom community, although logging still remains an important industry. The local Raging River feeds into the Snoqualmie River at Fall City, and offers recreational activities like fly-fishing and swimming. Eastside Fire & Rescue has an all-volunteer fire station, Station 74, staffed by residents of Preston and nearby communities, which serves the Preston area. The Preston Community Club is a volunteer organization that was created to unite and protect the historic Preston community by organizing town events, and acting as liaisons to local and state government. Several small stores have popped up as the area grows, such as the Preston General store, Sherm's BBQ, Coffee Too!, and formerly, the town's post office. Several larger companies have taken advantage of Preston's accessibility, such as bottled water company Talking Rain, SanMar, and Platt.