Today, the Internet provides some of the best prices anywhere for a selection of goods you would be hard-pressed to find in any one store. Incredibly, you need not be left out of the bargain-hunting just because you're living somewhere off the beaten path.

1. The first step is to establish an local account with a mail- and package-forwarding service such as Mail Boxes Etc. MBE will provide you with personalized mailing and shipping addresses in the US (Miami, FL) and the key to your own post office box located in one of their Caracas offices. I recommend you use the MBE office on the ground floor of the Torre Humboldt office tower, just behind and across the street from Concresa shopping center in Prados del Este.

Their address & phone numbers are:

MAIL BOXES ETC.

• Centro Empresarial Torre Humboldt
• Nivel Acceso, Local AC-05
• Prados del Este, Caracas 1080
• ph. 975 2793 / 975 4467 / 975 3268
• fax 975 2972

After having used other much more expensive, unreliable and slow mail services, I'm happy to say they have not yet lost any of my mail or packages (coming from or going to the US) I opened my account with this office over three years ago, and they're the final link of my Internet buying experiences.

An important note: MBE charges its customers based on the monthly mail volume (total weight of mail and packages coming and going during a 1 month period, in grams). As a new client, you will choose your expected minimum mail volume (ex. 0.5, 1, 1.5 kilos/month) with its corresponding per gram price (ex. Bs.5/gr., Bs.4/gr., Bs. 3/gr.) Every month, you will pay at least the full weight amount, even if you send & receive less mail. Any excess mail volume will be charged at a rate proportionate to the per gram cost of your particular weight class. Higher weight classes pay a greater fixed monthly sum, but enjoy a much lower rate for excess mail volume. As a result, you'll save money if you get a good idea of the least amount of mail you will send & receive monthly, on average, and pick the weight class that's closest.

Regarding customs tariffs: all goods you receive through Mail Boxes Etc. are customs prepaid on a volume scale, which is to say that any import duties are considered included in what you pay to MBE for shipping that particular package weight. You will not be asked to pay any discernible customs duties on whatever merchandise you bring in.

Regarding large, oversized or extremely heavy packages: Any packages that exceed a certain range for dimensions and weight may suffer rate penalties or may not be shipped at all. Contact MBE for specifics.

An alternative: ship your online purchases to a relative or friend's street address you know you'll be visiting on your next trip to the U.S. Have all of the address information handy when you order, including their zip code, home phone number, etc.

2. Only credit cards issued by US banks are accepted on most Internet sites. VISA and Mastercard are the most widely accepted. While not the only way to buy on every site, they are probably the only feasible payment method for shoppers living outside the US.

Suggestions for using credit cards for Internet purchases:

• Don't be concerned about safety issues with your credit card information as long as you are shopping from web merchants who use Secure Server Technologies (SSL or SST), or encryption protection, at the checkout portions of their sites. You can readily recognize areas protected in this fashion because your browser will prompt 'you are requesting a secure document, do you wish to proceed' before loading such a page. Also, a browser icon (such as a closed or open lock on Netscape browsers) will indicate whether you are currently protected. Any company worth shopping from will offer encryption-protected credit card transactions. Many of these web businesses do not even handle your credit card information when you make a purchase. The secure servers they are linked to are managed by the banks that process their credit card sales accounts and notify them as soon as the purchase amount is authorized.
• Make sure you have your exact credit card billing address handy (where the issuing bank sends your card's statements) because many web merchants request it from you at checkout time, as an added level of security. Some companies will not ship if your billing address is different than your shipping address, so it may be convenient to change your credit cards' billing addresses to your personal MBE shipping address. (at which you can also receive mail). Some merchants also request a US daytime phone number in case of questions regarding your order. You can often fulfill this requirement by providing the number of a friend or relative who has been briefed regarding your Internet purchasing habits beforehand.
   

3. I am a satisfied customer of every company whose banners appear on this page. Enjoy, and have fun.