How to shop online internationally

Online shopping is a great convenience, and has saved lots of us a lot of time. However, most online shops are in the US, and many do not accept international orders. This can be very frustrating for those of us shopping from outside the US, or for when you need to send a gift to friends or relatives living in other countries. Here are a few simple tips for international online shopping.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Go to Google or Yahoo and search in the search box enter what it is your shopping for plus "international orders" in quotes.
   Here's an example:
   
   children's clothes "international orders"
   
   Putting "international orders" in quotes will tell the search engines to search for that specific phase only. This phrase is a defacto standard used by many online shops for the section of their website where they describe in detail thier policies on international shipping and international orders.
2. Try this shopping directory which allows you to browse online shops by the countries they ship to: www.intletail.com
   
   For example, to view this directory for online shops shipping to Canada, the URL would be: www.intletail.com/canada
3. Before completing your online purchase, be sure to carefully read the online shop's shipping policy. Due to the fact that shipping charges can vary greatly depending on the destination country, many online shops will notify you by email of the exact shipping charges, and may require you to send a reply email confirming that you agree to pay those shipping charges.

Tips & Warnings

• Use common sense when shopping online, internationally or domestically. If a shopping site does not have a finished, professional look to it, be skeptical. The internet is full of scam artists. If your unsure about a site, do a search on Google or Yahoo for the name of the site and the word 'review' to see what kind of experiences others have had with that site.
• Plan ahead, especially when buying gifts for birthdays or holidays. International shipping can take much longer.
• In order to prevent fraud, most online shops that accept international orders require that the billing address for the credit card to be charged is the same as the delivery address for the goods purchased. This can be a problem when trying to buy a gift and having it sent directly to the recipient.
• Be sure you know your country's rules and regulations concerning customs duties, import restrictions, taxes and/or other fees. This is the responsibility of the purchaser (you) and not the retailer.