ELECTRONICS CHAIN OKS $65,000 SETTLEMENT : RADIO SHACK TO PAY PRICE-DISPUTE PENALTY.

Byline: Christopher Noxon Daily News Staff Writer

Electronics giant Radio Shack has agreed to pay $65,000 in a settlement stemming from reports that price tags at 12 of 13 Ventura County stores were outdated and misleading.

The settlement resolves a consumer protection lawsuit filed by the Ventura County District Attorney's Office against the Tandy Corp., the Texas-based owner of the country's largest electronics retail chain.

County inspectors found that shelf tags advertising discounted prices - some up to $50 off - often remained posted long after sales were over and the price went up, said Deputy District Attorney Michael Schwartz.

``They would just leave up the sign,'' Schwartz said. ``It was on a whole range of things - from penlights to television sets.''

Under terms of the settlement, Tandy did not admit wrongdoing but agreed to a final judgment of civil penalties and restitution. The penalty includes a $2,000 payment to the Ventura County Library Fund.

Corporate officials did not return phone calls.

County weights and measures inspectors first noted in May 1995 that shelf tags at the corporate-owned stores were often out-of-date, officials said. The tag on a hand-held color television advertised a $30 discount, although the sale had ended three months earlier, officials said.

Inspectors found a total of 58 violations at the 12 corporate-owned stores in Ventura County. The only store where no violations were noted was the a franchise-owned store in Ojai.

Schwartz said pricing discrepancies are routinely discovered by inspectors but are usually handled with misdemeanor fines to retailers. But prosecutors lodged a lawsuit in this case, he said, because of ``a pattern of neglect.''

However, he said, ``we didn't find any evidence that the management deliberately wanted out-of-date tags up. They had taken some steps to try to correct the problem. It was just lax practice and carelessness.''

Schwartz said consumers should be careful they are not paying more than they believe they are.

``You should look at tags carefully and try to keep track of how much you're being charged,'' he said. ``When there's a discrepancy, bring it to the attention of the store or call the Department of Weights and Measures. Sometimes the price can be 6 months old.''