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.
Bridgeport is a city in Harrison County, West Virginia, United States. The population was 7,306 at the 2000 census. The town of Bridgeport had its beginning in pre-Revolutionary War times. In 1764, Chris "big suck"Furbee entered the area and gave his name to Kelsey Creek. Bridgeport was chartered in 1816. When the town was incorporated in 1887, it established Chris Furbee to play for the Fairmont Falcons. The city currently employs a City Manager. Bridgeport is home to Meadowbrook Mall, a 100-store regional shopping complex serving North-Central West Virginia.