It's probably too late but I'll add my two cents. I put Wolf/SubZero in my kitchen in my last house. When my microwave broke a second time when it was just out of warranty, the factory said that was just wrong and they gave me a completely new convection microwave and installed it for a processing fee of $50. They made sure I was 100% satisfied. Fast forward to new house - Kitchen Aid appliances came with the house. Nice fridge, ok dishwasher but double ovens and cooktop are awful. Take too long to warm up and cool down. Really poor quality and they are only 3 years old. I wouldn't give you two cents for their cooking appliances. I think Wolf has the best cooking appliances on the market. Miele dishwashers are also the best. I hope this helps.

I bought a vinotemp unit directly from the factory with some scratches and a dent -- huge discount for very slight cosmetic damage that's not even on the front of the unit (which sits in our basement in any case). I was able to see a picture of the unit before buying and I was assured, in writing, that the full warranty applied. Would I do it again? Sure. Obviously it may be a bigger issue for you if the defects are conspicuous on a daily basis and you'll want to do your own checking on the warranty, with an assurance that there are no functional defects. How you evaluate the appearance or any uncertainties with a particular seller is something I cannot address, and there's always the question how big of a discount is on offer, but it's at least generally true that some very trivial (from a mechanical point of view) bumps or scrapes may cause a visual flaw that requires a discount (and, for that matter, also true that a unit with something seriously wrong with it may not have any such scrapes or dents). Sometimes, the discount is large and the problems end up being non-issues. YMMV.

For me, appliances was the highest importance in the kitchen after layout. I wanted control and flexibility and peformance from all of my appliances. Definitely function over form. I would suggest that you look at how you plan to use the equipment and how the features can help you cook better and your family's enjoyment of food and eating more pleasurable. That being said, I also bargain hunted majorly and sometimes a good deal on ebay or something would force the choice. Yur mileage may vary. Cooktops - 36in induction. Shortlist = Miele or Gaggenau. Bought Gagg display model induction on ebay. Single gas woktop - Miele or gaggenau. Bought Gagg on closeout. Really wanted one gas burner with high BTU for wok cooking etc. Refrigerator - Wanted Dual compressor. And a lot of control on the produce bins. We eat a lot of varieties of vegetables and I wanted to be able to control the moisture levels and the temperature. Decided on 30in counterdepth all fridge by Miele. Counterdepth keeps things visible and avoid science experiments in the fridge. Also liked Liebherr and the SZ with the glass door. Separate Freezer drawer by SZ. I wanted a bit of counter next to the fridge as a landing zone and went with a freezer drawer. Microwave - Preferred a good quality separate unit on a shelf as this is the appliance that is used most and often needs replacement before others. Panasonic with invertor. Warming drawer - Preferred one with low temps for bread proofing and moisture control to keep crisp foods warm and crisp. GE profile warming drawer from CL (The manual and functions are identical to Monogram) Ovens - I am never going to cook a massive turkey. But really wanted a steam convection. Went with 24in Gagg Combi steam and 27in Gagg convection. Dishwasher - Miele La Perla on closeout. Wanted the better drying that the models that automatically open the door provide. Also a smaller single second dishwahser by Fisher Paykel. Hood - Wanted a really high CFM that is not too loud. Cook a lot of "fragrant" ethnic food and have cooks with hearing issues. Abakka roof mounted 1600 CFM blower with the quiet kit. The hood has baffles that can be popped off and tossed into the dishwasher.

I've bought only scratch'n'dent or floor models for the past 30 years, always with a full warranty that covered any issues that arose after delivery. Most have worked perfectly -- only the most recent floor model stove needed adjustment for the thermostat, and we noticed after delivery that the produce drawer frame was broken in the refrigerator. Fixed without any problem. Sometimes they are missing a part or piece of trim -- which also have been covered under warranty, even though they are sold "as is". The Sears Outlet in my town, I have noticed, will put used appliances out on the floor along with the damaged ones. The telltale sign is, they don't clean them! so you will see crumbs in the fridge and detergent residue in the dishwasher, or maybe an odd odor. I won't consider those.