News 

British buyers are having the wool pulled over their eyes, as sellers in the US are able to offer exactly the same goods at huge discounts.

An in-depth investigation in the new issue of PC Pro shows that a copy of Microsoft Office 2003 is £362 in the UK, but can be picked up for £211 in US stores. Intuit Quickbooks Pro costs £270 here and only £130 in the US, while a digital camera is 40 per cent more expensive in York, than in New York.

Other products affected by the price premium include laptops, PDAs and MP3 players.

'Some manufacturers fob

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us off with stories of localisation costs, but the price discrepancies between the US and the UK are simply too big to justify,' said Paul Trotter, News & Features Editor of PC Pro. 'It's especially frustrating as web-savvy customers can quickly check the price of a product on a US website.'

PC Pro's investigation reveals that frustrated buyers can escape rip-off Britain by buying goods directly from US retailers. Many buyers have previously avoided the so-called 'grey market' through fear of confusing clauses, expensive import taxes and uncertain levels of customer support.

But the investigation examines every link in the chain, from the initial ordering process, the delivery, import duties, product support and product warranty, ensuring anyone planning to buy from abroad can do so with confidence.

'Many US retailers deliver products to overseas customers, but you need to know what you're doing,' said Trotter. 'If you know where to place your order and understand your rights as an international customer, you're in a great position to save a fortune.'

The September PC Pro (issue 131) is on general sale Thursday 21 July.