BAT/Bilstein?
Could be that Bilstein is selling off their factory seconds to third-party suppliers, which would be why said supplier would "not be allowed" to sell them or represent them as "Bilstein." This happens quite often in the parts industry, from what I gather.
However, several folks here have the BAT struts, and recommend them.
As for Spax, I can't speak personally of their damping rate, but they are sold/marketed as an uprated strut, not an OEM replacement. KYB's, at least the ones available for our cars, are marketed as "comfort" dampers, superior in "ride quality" to OEM. Ditto for Sachs/Boge, which also have a poor quality reputation.
If Koni's are out of your price range, I stand by my recommendation for either BAT or Spax.
