CLEVELAND -- It's back-to-school season, and many people are buying laptops, phones and iPods for the high school- and college-bound.

But consumers buying discount electronics to save $20 or $30 should be warned about illegal products being offered online, reported NewsChannel5's John Matarese.

When Tracy Winger wanted a new digital camera, she searched the Internet. She found the Fuji Film camera she wanted ranging from $358 all the way down to $239 for the same model.

She ordered from the cheapest site only to receive a strange e-mail a few days later.

"They told me there was a version that is imported, that was the same camera, but didn't come with a warranty or some other parts," said Winger.

So, Winger canceled and ordered from another low-priced Web site. Again, she received the same strange e-mail a few days later.

"They told me it was from Japan and had Japanese manuals and would be a Japanese camera," said Winger.

It turns out that the bargain-basement cameras were gray market goods, products that are built for other countries and are not supposed to be sold in the U.S.

The biggest downside to these products is that there is no warranty. They can also be incompatible with American wall outlets, TVs and other gadgets.

Winger finally ended up spending a bit more for her camera at a reputable Web site, and she said she's glad she did.

Before buying anything from a discount electronics retailer, check to make sure it’s a legitimate U.S. merchant.

Also, Web sites such as Shopzilla, Amazon and Epinions offer store and merchant feedback.