Merchant Will Pay to Settle Suit by D.A.

A Fountain Valley electronics merchant has agreed to pay nearly $20,000 in fines to settle a consumer protection lawsuit that claimed he used false advertising and overcharged his customers on sales tax, officials said Thursday.

The suit, brought by the Orange County district attorney’s office, contended that James E. Shipley engaged in unlawful business practices with American Accessories, his electronics warehouse.

The suit alleged that Shipley’s advertising created a false sense of urgency for sales on cameras, car stereos, telephones and other equipment. The suit also claimed that the electronics were not “conspicuously marked” as refurbished goods.