The LC pots can have imperfections on them and this is normal due to the way that they are made. Mine even came with a note/disclaimer from LC stating this. Mine has a small imperfection of the edge of the lid but does not compromise it's ability.
If you do exchange your pot be sure that you exchange for the same quality (not seconds).
I would keep the pot that you have.

I already returned it yesterday, but I will go to another store today and buy a boxed one, not the demo. they offered. Maybe it was just an imperfection, but being on the top edge of the pot, it looked like a chip and looked like it would be a spot that anything could catch on it and take more off.

Ratherbgardening, be sure to check the new-in-the-box ones too. I seem to have had more bad luck buying Le Creuset than most. I own 3 pieces, and have had to make several returns in order to get perfect ones. My first was an online purchase which arrived with a bulge in the iron near the rim, along with several pits in the enamel. I replaced it with one that looked fine in the store, but under my bright kitchen lighting, I could see that it had a few tiny black pits on the interior cooking surface. I then got my first keeper at Sur la Table, which incidentally, was a floor model. Next, I picked up a braiser at an outlet. I asked for a perfect one and got it. Finally, my third one (I think I am developing an addiction) came from Williams Sonoma. I took it out of the box in the store and examined the pot and interior of the lid carefully. I made the mistake of not taking the cardboard off the top of the lid. (In my defense, it was heavy and I didn't have much counter space to work with.) When I got it home, I could have kicked myself. There was a small, but very obvious black burr sticking out through the yellow enamel. Oh well....the store was "only" an hour away. Will my track record stop me from buying more? No.....the aforementioned addition is now telling me that I need another one.

I'm wondering if this imperfection thing is something new? I have six LC pans and have never had a problem. I just received a seventh, the LC 'Defuet' (this is the one where you put ice in the lid), for Christmas (red) and it also is perfect. The most recent pan came from Chef's. All the others were purchased through a small, independent kitchen store in Manchester, NH. Is LC still manufacturing everything in France or are they now manufacturing in China?

Stormbrewing, today I did check over the boxed ones and at 2 stores (one was Sur La Table, which we just happened to drive by) they were the same thinner ones with the darker tan interior. Maybe I should just order it from Caplan Duval where I got my first one which has no problems. I noticed the thinner pots had more written on the lid interior than the one I have from C.D.,making me think it may be from a different place. Sounds like I have the same addiction started as you do! I really don't need more, though.
Anyone have their ceramic cookware? It looks like good stuff too. :)

I don't own any of the ceramic LC, however, we purchased six baking dishes for Christmas gifts. I sent them out with a white chocolate/macadamia nut bread pudding in them....they seem like nice pieces & I got nice even browning on the bread puddings. I did notice though that the outside rims are quite large which made for easy grabbing with hot pads but kept me from being able to get two side-by-side in my roasting pan for the water bath.

Very interesting.....Mine have the light color interior, are about the same thickness and all 3 have "France" or "Made in France" on the inner lid. (The braiser has slightly less written on it than the 2 round ovens do.) I love these pots but they do make me a little nervous.....If you've ever looked over the care instructions at LC's website, they make it sound like they are very fragile. For example, you are not supposed to tap the side of the pot with a spoon, or use heat higher than medium. I have spoken with people at Williams Sonoma and Sur la Table, and they roll their eyes when I mention this. Some of them have had their LC for 30+ years with no problems. But I still worry that the quality of the older pieces was better. At the moment, I have a stain in my 5 quart oven that refuses to come out. I hope that the enamel is ok. I'll be going to WS and SLT sometime in the next month or 2.... I'll check the interior color and pot thickness, and report back.

The color difference isn't a big difference, just a darker shade like can happen with fabric or yarn in different dye lots, but I still wonder about the extra writing on the lid interior. I'll be curious to see if you notice any differce when you go back to Sur La Table. I think I'll try one more kitchen store today and see if they have the thicker one.

In my humble opinion Le Creuset pans are worth every penny.Everything comes out tasting so good. Soups , stews, pot roasts..LOve this product. All the TV chefs use them, have you noticed?