Tips

For 

• UK prices are generally higher than elsewhere. The June edition of “Computing Which” revealed that Windows Vista Home Premium in the UK costs nearly twice as much as in the US. The exchange rate does not account for all of that disparity.
  
• Many new products are not released in the UK until months after they are available in other countries. Simultaneous worldwide releases are rare, so if you do not want to wait months to acquire the latest applications and equipment, buying from abroad is the answer.
• Some of the best products never get released in the UK. Some of the excellent equipment on this site was considered to have poor demand and was never marketed here.
  
• Buying products from overseas suppliers can save you the cost of the VAT - although postage and packing for larger items can offset any savings. Some Hong Kong websites like Ledshoppe offer items at a fraction of the UK price.
  

Against

• Not all products come with international warranty, leaving you without after sales care
  
• When buying online from overseas suppliers you need to include the cost of shipping as well as any additional levies and import duties that may apply, increasing the cost.
  
• Compatibility with UK standards needs to be considered. Can you obtain UK cables and connectors? Will the equipment work on UK mains supply?
  
• Different countries have different statutory consumer rights which can affect your ability to return items in the same way you can in the UK.
  
• Certain products and applications cannot be sold outside their country of manufacture due to export regulations that if broken carry severe penalties. This is particularly true of the United States.
  

If you want to learn more about how to save money on hardware and software purchases, why not read on of our related guides:

Finding hardware products and suppliers

Buying a computer

Buying a PC server

Buying online

Buying software