Did you adjust the focus ring located at the back of the scope? Also, I have a real problem holding just a scope up and looking through it and then try to decide whether I like it or not. I personallyhave never had a problem getting mine to focus. In fact if the lighting changes, there are times when I want to check a small area, I will tune the scope in to focus that area. This is not normally the case at closer ranges. I forget where the parallax is set tofocus at. I will look for my paper work on it if you like.

Were you just holding the scope up and looking through it? There are other scopes out there, you just have to look through them and see which one you feel gives you the best value for your dollar you're willing to spend. Good luck with your scope search.