You ordered an appliance from Samsung directly—what now

Buying products directly from the manufacturer can save you a lot of money. Companies like Warby Parker and Dollar Shave Club are direct-to-consumer (DTC) brands that skip the middle-man of retailers and overhead of maintaining a brick and mortar store, allowing them to keep their costs low.

As an example, let's look at one direct-to-consumer appliance brand: Samsung. You want to buy a new Samsung appliance from Samsung's website, where you've found a great sale price or an appliance that's actually in stock. But, maybe you've never bought DTC and don't know what to expect. Or, maybe you've ordered and already scheduled a date and just want to make sure everything is in order.

If you've ordered an appliance from Samsung, here's what to expect when it comes to the delivery, the prep, and what you need to take care of afterward.

Preparation: What to expect when you're expecting a delivery

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Before the delivery crew shows up, you'll need to make sure your home (and your old appliance) is ready for them. Here's a checklist of everything you'll need to get in order beforehand.

• An adult 18 years or older must be present at delivery. While you may think your kid is ready for this responsibility, Samsung's delivery crew isn't.
• Make sure your kitchen is on the fourth floor or below. Sorry to everyone on the fifth floor of a walkup, but Samsung's delivery crew will only carry a fridge up three flights of stairs.
• Clear a parking and unloading site close to your home. This one is so obvious it might not have occurred to you: The delivery crew will need a spot near your front door to park and unload. This may mean calling your district or local police ahead of time to make sure they block off street parking during the delivery window.
• The delivery team won't lift your appliance up and over anything and won't remove your doors from their hinges, so you've got to clear the way yourself. They need an unobstructed path with plenty of clearance open between the unloading area and your kitchen, so make sure to double-check all your measurements against the size of the shipping container.

Samsung provides buyers with a list of what they shouldn't expect their delivery drivers to do, to help set expectations.

• Delivery people can't remove their shoes. It may be a rule in your house, but the delivery crew has to keep their boots on during the process for their own safety. We doubt they'll leave giant muddy footprints all over your kitchen, but you'll likely have to sweep up some dust and dirt afterwards.
• They won't lift your appliance up and over anything or carry them through windows, because this is a safety concern.
• They won't remove doors (or otherwise alter your property) to complete the delivery. This means you'll need to take careful measurements to make sure the appliance has the clearance it needs to make it from the truck to its new home. It also means you can't have the delivery crew uninstall your current built-in appliance. If you're using Samsung's program to haul away your old appliance, you'll need to make sure it's disconnected first. The delivery crew also won't move your existing washer to the new laundry room and hook it up there. You'll need to do all that on your own.

Delivery day: They're here!

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Once the truck pulls up, here's what to expect for the next hour or so.

• First and foremost, the delivery team will walk the path to confirm it's safe, clear, and has plenty of clearance.
• They'll survey and document any existing property damage or concerns along the moving path.
• They'll inspect any affected plumbing or electrical systems to make sure they're in working order, and advise you to increase ventilation, remove other appliances from the grid, or otherwise get the area ready for the new appliance.
• Next, Samsung's delivery crew will apply protection to the surrounding areas if necessary, to prevent \ accidents during the move.
• If you're having Samsung haul away an old appliance, the crew will do that next.
• Once the old appliance is gone (if applicable), they'll move in your new appliance, unpack it, inspect it, install it, and otherwise prepare it for service.
• They'll make some final checks to ensure everything is level and in working order, then pick up any packaging materials and head out. The area should be left relatively neat and clean.

Final steps for fridges: What needs to be done after the crew leaves

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If your freshly-installed appliance is a refrigerator, there are still two very important steps you'll need to remember to get it ready for normal use.

• First, if it has a water dispenser, you'll want to flush out and dispose of about a gallon of water. This should flush out the filters and pipes completely, and get your water dispenser ready for normal use.
• You need to let the ice machine fill for at least 24 hours before first use. You can't dispense ice that hasn't formed yet.

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Prices were accurate at the time this article was published but may change over time.