One of the most exciting things about the Internet is that it gives you access to products from all over the world. But before you go wild snapping up what looks like an incredible bargain, it’s important to take on board the risk and costs involved in buying from abroad.

• First of all, you need to make sure that whatever you’re buying will actually work in this country. Things like DVDs, computers and other electrical goods often have different standards and systems.

• If something goes wrong with whatever you’ve bought, will the guarantee be valid in this country and is there somewhere you can return it over here rather than having to send it back to where it came from?

• The delivery fees are likely to be hefty.

• If you are buying from outside the European Union you will probably have to pay customs duty and VAT on top of the price you are paying for your goods. This is complicated and there are serious penalties for not paying up so if you are thinking of shopping abroad it’s a good idea to visit the HM Revenue & Customs website to find out more.

• Its not always obvious that you are actually buying from abroad so have a good look around the site and make sure you know where your goods are coming from and how much it’s going to cost you.

• It’s also worth noting that you could find that you’re not allowed to buy from some overseas Internet sites. For example, there are a lot of American sites that will only accept payment from a credit card belonging to someone living in America.