The short answer
A lower item price is useful only if the appliance can reach your room, be connected, work as described and be removed when you leave. Get a delivered-and-installed total before comparing a shop with an individual seller.
For: newcomers furnishing a rental in Japan. Not a fit: selecting a model without measurements, installing gas or electrical equipment yourself, or assuming a marketplace listing includes retailer-style installation or warranty.
Compare the whole job
| Question | Used-appliance retailer | Individual marketplace seller |
|---|---|---|
| Delivered cost | Ask whether the service area includes your postcode and floor | Check shipping method, collection duties and bulky-item exclusions |
| Installation | Get an explicit inclusion or a separate charge | Do not treat delivery as installation |
| Condition | Request model number, manufacture year and test record | Request the same evidence plus clear photos of the actual item |
| Warranty | Record period, covered faults and who pays transport | Read the listing and platform process; do not assume a warranty |
| Failed delivery | Ask about stairs, narrow access and redelivery charges | Agree responsibility before payment or collection |
Write one total, with missing items visible
Purchase-and-use estimate = item + shipping + carrying upstairs + installation/parts + planned disposal. Add an operating-cost estimate separately if you have the model’s energy information. Mark unknown charges “not quoted”; they are not zero.
Fictional calculation example: item A costs ¥18,000, with ¥6,000 delivery and ¥3,000 installation: ¥27,000 before disposal. Item B costs ¥24,000 with delivery and installation explicitly included: ¥24,000 before disposal. A lower sticker price does not win this comparison. These are invented amounts, not current offers.
Complete this before paying
Use this original checklist on paper or in your private notes. Nothing is submitted here.
- Identify the exact item. Record maker, model number, manufacture year, faults, missing parts and the listing date. Match the photographs to the item offered.
- Measure the full route. Record entrance width, lift opening and interior, stair turns, room doorway and appliance space. Add the manufacturer’s required clearance and door-opening space; an exterior-width match is not enough.
- Confirm connections. For a washing machine, compare its footprint with the drain pan, tap height, hose fittings and drain location. For a refrigerator, allow door opening and ventilation. Use the actual model manual for electrical and installation requirements.
- Get a delivery commitment. Confirm postcode coverage, floor and lift access, carrying inside, packaging removal, date window, contact method and language. Ask what happens if the item cannot be carried in.
- Write the remedy. Who handles arrival damage or a fault, by when must you report it, and who pays return transport? Save the written terms and listing privately.
- Plan the exit. Ask who can collect the appliance and separate collection/transport from recycling charges. Do not count a future resale price as guaranteed income.
- Check product safety. Use the maker’s recall information and the NITE product-accident and recall entry point below. Do not buy a recalled model without confirming that the required remedy has been completed.
Disposal is a separate line item
Verified 20 September 2026: the Home Appliance Recycling Ticket Center lists household air conditioners, TVs, refrigerators/freezers, and washing machines/clothes dryers as the covered categories. Recycling fees vary by maker and item. Its fee table is not a quotation for collection from your home. Identify the model/category, then obtain the collection and transport charge separately. A microwave is not included in those four categories; use the municipality’s instructions for its disposal route.
RKC: appliance categories and manufacturer recycling-fee table · www.rkc.aeha.or.jp ↗
When buying nothing yet is the better decision
Wait if your lease already includes the appliance, you have not measured the delivery route, or a key charge is still missing. For a short stay, compare furnished housing, a quoted rental service, or using facilities already available in the building. Buying new is also a valid comparison if delivery, warranty and eventual disposal make the used option less attractive.
A message you can send to the actual seller
English: “Does the total include delivery to my room and installation? Please confirm the exact model, dimensions, warranty terms, and charges if it cannot be carried inside. Is removal of my old appliance included or quoted separately?”
日本語:「表示金額に部屋までの搬入と設置は含まれますか。型番、寸法、保証条件、搬入できなかった場合の費用を教えてください。古い家電の回収費用は含まれますか。それとも別料金ですか。」
Finished when: you have a total quote, a confirmed fit, an arrival-fault contact and an exit plan. For a place to organise questions, use the private office-visit worksheet.
If those checks are complete, view the existing used-appliance shop and Mercari links. The destination section is marked as advertising and may generate a commission. We have not checked live stock, a particular seller or an individual product’s warranty.
Sources and limits
Source pages checked 20 September 2026. Next source review: 20 October 2026. The comparison table, questions and calculation are editorial tools; they do not describe universal seller policies.