Last-minute shoppers beware: Online pricing isn't always available in stores

Savvy shoppers know the drill. Before plunking down your dollars, you do your homework and comparison shop, which usually involves surfing a retailer's Web site to check out online deals.

While that practice can prove fruitful for BestBuy customers (I scored a personal DVD player when buying a flat screen online), that's not always the case if books are on your gift-giving list.

It seems buyers certainly have to beware when trying to score a last-minute book deal this year since Barnes & Noble customers shouldn't expect to pay the same in person as they do online.