Just a quick plug for Crucial – the people who sell computer memory.
My computer is a bit long in the tooth now – I built it several years ago – but when I put it 
together I installed 4GB of RAM from Crucial. I’ve had no problems until recently, when I began to get the occasional random shutdown. A quick memory test revealed that my RAM was the problem.
At the time I built it, 4GB of RAM came as four sticks of 1GB, and used up all four available memory slots on my motherboard. Anyway, I quickly ordered another 4GB from eBuyer (this time as two 2GB sticks, and somewhat cheaper than it was four years ago). I had no idea which stick was faulty, so it was a case of throwing the baby out with the bathwater!
Now, nothing was further from my mind than what came next, but my eye caught the “lifetime warranty” comment alongside the new RAM I’d ordered. I checked back, and sure enough my original RAM had this condition well. I asked eBuyer how to proceed with a claim against that and they referred me to Crucial.
To cut a long story short, I contacted Crucial via online webchat last Tuesday. The agent immediately accepted that there was a fault. He pointed out that they didn’t make that particular kit anymore and he wanted to check compatibility with current RAM against my motherboard. I suggested that the type I’d ordered and installed was compatible, and even though it was technically a very slightly lower spec than my original he said that if it was OK with me they could supply that. He sent me an email with return details (freepost) and a returns number for the faulty RAM (I guess they have to test it) that afternoon.
I sent the old four sticks off the next day (Wednesday). Thursday I got an email saying it had been received. Friday I got an email telling me that my replacement was ready to ship. Saturday morning it arrived.
To consider that when I first ordered the replacement RAM from eBuyer I had simply written the original stuff off in my mind. I expected that the warranty would be limited somehow and didn’t expect for a second that my warranty claim would be upheld – and especially not so readily.
When I build my next computer, which will be soon, Crucial have assured themselves the position as my No. 1 choice for RAM.