Bob Tedeschi of the New York Times reports that online retailers are becoming a haven of last resort for "procrastinating shoppers" waiting until the 11th hour to buy and ship gifts. In previous years, online retailers stopped taking pre-Christmas orders around the 14th or 15th; this year, however, Web retailers have boosted their back-office capabilities and have extended the ordering date to the 20th in some cases. However, if promises of pre-Christmas delivery fall short, retailers could be risking fines from the FTC or the "wrath" of consumers and shareholders.