Online Shoppers Beware! Gap.com Has A Sneaky Online Price Mark-Up

Last week I told you all about my hunt to get my daughter this great shearling coat I saw in my local Gap store. The short version of the story is they didn't have the coat in her size anywhere in N.Y.C. so I had my mom get it for me from a Gap store by her...two states away.

Well, you're probably wondering why I didn't just order it online. Here's why:

The jacket is $59.50 if you buy it in a Gap store, but if you buy it online it's $64.50.

I know it's only a $5 price difference, but it infuriates me that Gap is selling the exact same coat for $5 more on their website. Add shipping to that and it's a $12 mark-up just for shopping online. What gives?

And just to be sure it wasn't just this coat, I did some research. I bought my daughter the cable knit hat for $16.50 in a Gap store.

If you buy it online, you'll spend $24.50 for it. That's an $8 difference for the exact same hat.

Of course, because I can be a little maniacal about my online shopping, I emailed Gap's customer service to see why the jacket was more online and it they would honor the lower price offered in stores. 2 days later I got a horrible response about not being able to sell me the coat at the lower price with no explanation for why it was more expensive online. They also offered me a 10% off discount, which never came but that's another story.

So a word to all you smart shoppers out there--go to your Gap store first! Gap.com is a total rip-off because they're selling the exact same merchandise for $5-$10 more than in the stores. Maybe they thought no one would notice because of the whole logo controversy, but we're smarter than you think Gap.

Find more jackets for babies, boys and girls in our buying guides.