Clean it up leupold! - Leupold Mark 4 ER/T 4.5-14x50mm Extended Range/Tactical Front Focal Reticle Rifle Scopes

I had the scope for about two weeks but didn’t mount it. So I can’t opine on how it actually performs on its primary intended use.
Anyhow, I checked out the different kind of birds in the yard, neighbor activities & such. Then, however, I gave it a good look thru from the front under proper lighting conditions & what did I discover? There were several particles visible on the first lens inside the scope! You even see them against the sky, when looking from the front.

Recalling just the last praises I’ve read on the interwebs about an L&S facilities tour, where something as a “clean room” for assembly was mentioned, I thought that this is kind of a joke.
To make it short, at that price point and given the alternatives out there, I become increasingly un-humorous and instead of being inclined to chime in to the praises of the great L&S guaranties & customer service, I’ll go ahead and rather have to praise the retailer here for their generous return policy.
Btw, aside from that it seems to be all what it claims to be. Therefore, 2 out of 5 stars.