Pulled the trigger on an open box washer and dryer, no regrets so far

Bought an open box Electrolux front load washer about two years back when our old one quit mid-cycle with a toddler in the house and no patience for waiting on a sale. Mine came off the floor as a display unit, so slightly diferent situation than yours, but the store knocked off a decent chunk and threw in the full manufacturer warranty since it had never been registered. That warranty part ended up mattering more than I expected, because about eight months in the door latch started acting up and the service call was covered, no arguement from them once they saw the purchase date in the system.

One thing I'd add to your tip list is to run a full cycle with nothing in it before you sign anything at the store, if they'll let you. I only got to spin the drum by hand and wish I'd asked to run a quick rinse and spin. Also snap photos of the serial numbers before you leave the parking lot in case anything gets swapped or scratched during the drive home. The quietness surprised me too. Our old machine rattled the cabinets on spin. Now I sometimes stand there wondering if it's actually running. Enjoy the new pair, sounds like you did your homework on it.

Mine was a similar purchase but it did not go as smooth. Grabbed an open box front loader from a scratch and dent warehouse a couple years back, price looked great and the dent was cosmetic like you'd expect. What I didn't check was how long the thing had been sitting around. The unit had been on the pallet in the back room for close to a year, and the door gasket had a musty smell that took months of leaving the door cracked open and a couple cleaning cycles with washer cleaner tablets to fully go away.

So the thing I'd add to your checklist is the manufacture date and also the shipping date if the store can pull it up. A unit can be a few months old on paper but have sat in storage or on a dark pallet way longer, and that rubber boot is where the smell lives.

Also worth running a full spin cycle at the store if they'll let you, not just checking that the drum turns by hand. Mine drained fine but had a slight wobble at high speed that I talked myself into ignoring. Turns out the transit bolts had been removed but the unit had been knocked around a bit. It's been fine after a couple loads, but I'd trust my gut next time instead of the discount.

One thing I'd check on that dryer since it took a hit somewhere. I work at an appliance shop, we move maybe a dozen scratched units a week, and every so often a dented side hides a knocked-loose vent connection inside. Pop the lint screen out and shine a flashlight down the duct before your first load, make sure nothing shifted. Also get some slack in the exhaust hose once it's in the closet, a crushed hose will make even a new dryer take forever on towels.