I'm not ignoring you guys...but the customer service manager is off on vacation and at this point, so am I! I did talk to Nikon service & repair center and they say the lint between the glass would be covered under the 90 day warranty for refurbished products. I'm anticipating some sort of resolution when the manager returns. If not, I can also request Amazon to intervene. But, that would likely involve returning everything in my package deal for a credit and starting all over again. At this point, it's perhaps not such a bad option after all.

I really don't want to mar the good reputation of a shop listed on this forum as "one of the good guys" over my poor experience with one individual at that shop without allowing the management a chance to make things right.

From now on, though, I'll stick to B&H or Adorama or just pay the extra bucks to order something at the local camera shop! Thanks for all your help.