Anyone get 1GB RAM free (Lifetime Memory Products) with 15" PB from MacConnection?

I got that 1GB MacConnection deal at the end of 2003. The RAM they pre-installed was from "Lifetime Memory Products"--and BOTH 512 modules failed Apple diagnostics, interfering with me getting unrelated warranty service. (Luckily Apple didn't charge me.)

Lifetime Memory Products wasn't easy to deal with, but I finally got replacements using their lifetime guarantee. And it happened again.

So, 4 bad modules in total from Lifetime Memory Products. They WORK OK, but fail diagnostics. Therefore Apple removes them (sending them back in a safe bag) but can't do further work on my machine. So I'll have to dig up the original Apple RAM that MacConnection removed (but did include in the box).

I'm wondering if other people have had problems with this RAM failing tests? I don't want to end up with SIX bad modules from Lifetime. Maybe I need to get MacConnection to provide a different brand of RAM... but after 15 months, that won't be an easy thing to get.

TIA!

Update: I ran Hardware Test and the RAM passed.

Does Apple run some super-test at their repair centers that would catch issues I can't catch with Hardware Test?

Both MacConnection and Lifetime Memory say that this RAM DOES meet Apple specs, and Apple gave me no details on what the failure in question might be.

I think I may just keep the bad RAM... I'm not getting crashes

I did keep (half of) the machine's original RAM--MacConnection put it in the box--but running on 256 is no picnic when you're used to 2x512! It got my through all the delays while getting new Lifetime RAM sent, but it was inconvenient--not worth it if I'll just get more RAM with the same mysterious issue.

(I gave the other 256 to someone for their iMac.)

I wouldn't say "always" since they didn't do it to me with another Mac I sent in--and they never list Apple-brand RAM as being required.

But I know people often use RAM that doesn't really meet specs, and then Apple would catch that. How, I do not know...

Luckily Apple did not blame the RAM anyway--they fixed my unrelated problem, then removed the RAM and sent it back to me with a note.

Not liking the sound of this

Hmmm... maybe they didn't USED to do this always, but this annecdote from http://www.macintouch.com/#notesandtips is suspicious:

"David Roach highlighted an issue with Apple (acting like it wants to eliminate third-party memory sales the same way it nuked the Mac dealer channel):

Recently I've had two experiences with AppleCare, one for my Powerbook and one for my Power Mac G5. For both machines AppleCare removed the memory that was in the machine and gave it to me in a separate bag saying that the memory was "bad."
* I've used the memory in the Powerbook for almost 3 years now with no problems whatsoever. Since getting back this "bad" RAM I've run memtest on the Powerbook for a week straight with zero errors.
* I called Apple back to ask about this and was told that if it is not Apple RAM it won't work right. I thought that was a pretty silly thing to say. I'm looking forward to testing the RAM on my G5 as soon as I can get Apple to put two of the same kind of processor in the machine. (They actually sent me an invoice with two different part numbers for two different CPUs in a dual-CPU machine.)"

That's pretty much what happened to me--except Apple offered no explanation of the RAM issue in my case. But if Apple really IS interfering with 3rd party RAM without real reason, that's pretty bad! EXISTING Mac users with perfectly good RAM are getting hassled--and may end up buying costly Apple RAM for no reason (again, Apple never suggested that in my case). And RAM vendors will be asked to trade in "bad" RAM at their own expense, on lifetime warranty, when their product wasn't defective at all. Worst of all, it would hurt catalog and other resellers' ability to offer bundles with added RAM. And doing all that without FIRST making clear publicly that this change is happening?

That guy's two incidents and my two do not a trend make--especially when he was told he should use Apple RAM and I wasn't. (And just how strongly did Apple say that to him? Maybe one person recommended Apple RAM is safest because you KNOW for sure... which is true enough. But if that one person overstated the issue, that doesn't mean a whole new policy from Apple.)