Stood up or delivered?
The site may promise that you will get the goods before Christmas as long as you place your order in time.

Unless you have paid extra for a specific delivery period or date, read the small print.

Most retailers will have a clause saying something like ‘expected delivery within two weeks’, exempting them from liability in case the goods don’t arrive in time.

Legally, the retailer has 30 days to deliver. Since many retailers (although not Amazon) use Royal Mail, it’s best to check the Christmas cut-off dates.

Unless you are using an online retailer that will guarantee a date because it is using another delivery company, you should err on the side of caution when making last-minute orders.

If you choose a refund the retailer can take up to a further 30 days to give you a refund, so bear this in mind if you need to wait for the money before ordering from another retailer.

Stocked full of scams
Cyber criminals are just as eager to take your money as the real retailers and they know that people tend to get carried away at this time of year.

Each year criminals quickly set up very sophisticated sites to fool people ­ and get away with it.

There are often signs of danger: if an item is in short supply and can’t be bought from the high street, it is unlikely that an online retailer you have never heard of will have copious supplies.

Bad spelling and grammar on websites are giveaways, as are payment methods: if a site insists on payment by Western Union or bank transfer do not complete the transaction.

Plenty of small traders use Paypal to take payment, but where that is the sole payment option on offer, we advise that you contact the company by phone or email to ask about returns procedures.

The small trader's response should give you an idea of whether they are geniuine. Larger retailers should always offer credit and debit card facilities.

Likewise, foreign sites aren’t necessarily bad but take extra care, especially if the products are very cheap: last year customs agents seized thousands of fake Nintendo DS Lite consoles that had come from a site in Asia, destined for UK buyers.

Make sure your computer is up to date. Use an updated security program and the latest web browser such as Internet Explorer 8 or Firefox 3.5. They will expose some suspicious sites. Visit this link for more on web browser safety.

Where possible, use a credit card, not a debit card.

If your item costs more than £100 you have protection under section 75 of the Consumer Credit Act.

This doesn’t apply to multiple items: it must be a single product worth £100. Credit card firm Visa offers limited protection for users of its debit cards as well: check your bank’s terms and conditions.

Paypal also offers full buyer protection if goods are not delivered, but do not send cash or payments through a wire transfer service such as Western Union or by bank transfer, even if it is a UK bank.

Our verdict
It may sound as though online shopping is fraught with danger, and it’s true that it is possible to get ripped off.

But if you follow our advice and keep your wits about you, you can get some good deals without trouble.

Be prepared, be careful, be security-conscious and remember the old adage: if it sounds too good to be true, it probably is.

Baffled by jargon? See our free online jargon buster www.computeractive.co.uk/jargonbuster

See also: Create attractive labels using mail merge