@Joethewaterguy,
Here's another update to this continuing dryer installation saga, which includes a final strange twist.
First, for Joe, while I appreciate the effort to always try to find the "good" in people, to fall for this one defies reason. This just belongs n the category of one of life's lessons. It's sort of like, "you never buy a Rolex watch from a guy who's out of breath", and "you never sit down to poker with a guy named 'Slim'". And as for the assertion that we would resort to litigation if something were to go "wrong" is sheer nonsense. If we've been fully apprised of the risk, and voluntarily elect to accept that risk, we're accountable for any outcomes attributable to that decision.
And as the late Paul Harvey would say, now for the rest of the story. Earlier this week the contract installers arrived to install the dryer. I'd told my wife the night before, that despite our "purchase" of the unneeded parts, we were going to decline the actual installation, and I'd do the work myself. Well, they must have broken the mold when they made these installers because they were wonderful. They removed and inspected the existing four feet of vent pipe, and hooked it up to the new dryer. Not surprisingly, in a five year old house, they found no lint - only a little dust.
There must have been a real communications mix-up on the electrical cord installation though (never a far-fetched possibility with my wife). My wife told the installers that "I wanted to install the electrical cord myself", which really meant that I just wanted to move the cord off the old dryer to the new dryer. Somehow though, when I got home - the dryer was installed with a new electrical cord and another new cord was laying on the kitchen table. When I inquired about "that", my wife said the installer just left the extra cord (no charge), and said if I wanted to install it on the dryer - I was welcome to do that.
Well, needless to say, we'll be returning the unopened cord, the unopened vent pipe and clamps for a refund. And we'll still have fully inspected vent pipe and a newly installed electrical cord - for free. Who says there's no justice in the world?