Escondido

Lawrence Welk Resort Villas agreed Thursday to settle a consumer protection lawsuit alleging unlawful advertising in the sale of time-shares in Northern San Diego County, the state attorney general’s office announced.

The settlement resolves a lawsuit filed earlier this year against Welk and three other firms. The suit alleged that mailers Welk Resort Villas had sent to solicit attendance at its time-share promotions misled people into believing they had won a gift, according to Dennis W. Dawson, a deputy attorney general.

The mailers failed to disclose that a vacation “award” included hotel but not transportation there and back, Dawson said in a statement.

The mailers also implied that the recipient had won a specific gift, Dawson said. In fact, there was no winning unless the mailer also included a matching number, symbol or identifying mark, he said.

According to Dawson, the mailers also showed both expensive and inexpensive gifts, then listed the winners of the less-costly gifts and implied that the recipient had won a more expensive one.

Without admitting any wrongdoing, the four firms agreed to an order requiring them to make clear in the mailers what, if anything, had been won, Dawson said.

Welk Resort Villas also agreed to pay $15,000 in attorney’s fees and costs to the state.

The other three firms are Welk Park North, Kemper Development Inc. and Teleklew Products Inc., Dawson said. He could not be reached Thursday for comment.