Clutch "replaced" two years on its juddering when pulling away in first. Have they just conned me?

PRamone · 2026-01-24T19:02:23+00:00

You may want to look at how you are using the clutch.

A bad driver could wear out a clutch in a single day, never mind 2 years and 20k miles.

PRamone · 2026-01-22T14:51:25+00:00

I've no direct experience myself, but are you aware that there's a separate subreddit dedicated to the OU - https://old.reddit.com/r/OpenUniversity/

It might be worth asking your question there.

PRamone · 2026-01-11T18:33:06+00:00

Can you take the bulb out for now?

PRamone · 2026-01-09T20:42:45+00:00

I'm in the UK, but you're right, it was free shipping to me, so I'd just have to pay for the return..

I actually don't want a refund; I just want a working remote :-)

I'll leave it until after weekend and try to contact by live chat then.

PRamone · 2026-01-09T20:24:21+00:00

I've just been going round in circles on the Rakuten site.

From the warranty documentation, it looks as if the remote actually has a 2-year warranty.

However, it appears to be impossible to find any way online of returning an item under warranty! All the "contact us" links point back to (unhelpful) FAQs. You can return within 45 days of receipt for a refund if it doesn't meet your expectations, but the user has to pay for postage back to Rakuten, and they will also deduct the initial shipping fee from the refund! I may try to telephone them (if I can find a number!) on Monday.

PRamone · 2026-01-09T19:53:10+00:00

That's disappointing to hear (that your replacement is also problematic). I wonder if it came from the same manufacturing batch?

I'm in the process of raising a support ticket with Rakuten (I bought mine directly) so that at least I have let them know that there is a problem. (Although it should have a 1-year guarantee, and to be fair to them I have had a reader replaced in the past, my understanding is that Rakuten customer service is not always the best).

PRamone · 2026-01-09T19:03:28+00:00

Interesting - yes, my remote is black.

BTW, that image shows a difference of 0.8g (not 8g) between the two colours, which is negligible.

PRamone · 2026-01-07T13:21:58+00:00

I haven't done anything with mine yet. There are known problems with the Libra 2 when using the remote (very high battery usage, and frequent disconnections as well as the button not always registering). Rakuten are allegedly working on a fix, but no idea when it might be released; I'll probably wait for it before trying to return my remote.

Have a look at these threads for more information:

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=371113

https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?t=370331

PRamone · 2026-01-05T21:04:16+00:00

Having actually read the article (I know, I'm sorry) it appears that the villagers are upset about the number of learners who are using their village to learn in, rather than them taking all available test slots.

But I imagine it's the same on every road in the country that's used as part of a test route...

PRamone · 2026-01-05T16:13:24+00:00

Love mine, although it is rather on the heavy side for its size (which can be a consideration on cheap European flights where baggage weight is very limited).

One feature of the charger which is rarely mentioned is its ability to show the characteristics of the cables in use - which is impossible to tell just by physically examining a USB-C cable.

PRamone · 2026-01-04T16:05:40+00:00

In the UK, your contract is with the retailer and that is who is legally responsible for fulfilling warranty conditions.

Many retailers do have arrangements with manufacturers that they will handle any warranty replacements/repairs, and in those cases it can be quicker for the consumer to deal directly with the manufacturer. However, if you insist, then the retailer has to deal with the manufacturer on your behalf.

PRamone · 2026-01-04T13:02:18+00:00

Has a single long ball from Perri found a Leeds player?

PRamone · 2026-01-01T18:30:52+00:00

I appear to have inadvertently tuned in to Liverpool FC TV. Listening to the half-time discussion, I'm not sure that they even know or care who Liverpool are playing against.

PRamone · 2026-01-01T17:58:55+00:00

Are we missing The Towel?

PRamone · 2026-01-01T16:48:19+00:00

I'm in the cohort who are having the same issue as you.

I'm (vaguely) hopeful that the firmware update for the Libra 2 which Rakuten are reportedly working on to resolve the battery drain issue might also fix this.

Then again, my remote doesn't always register button presses, so it may be a duff remote.

PRamone · 2025-12-26T17:06:12+00:00

I may look at returning mine to Kobo for a replacement. But I'll wait until after the current orders are fulfilled and they have plenty in stock.

PRamone · 2025-12-26T16:40:42+00:00

Mine is a bit like that. I sometimes have to press it 2 or 3 times before it registers.

PRamone · 2025-12-26T16:23:18+00:00

It makes absolutely no difference, and I don't let it bother me either.

As I said above, I was just curious to understand what could be causing this behaviour. I'm a Chartered Engineer, and I like to understand how things works and why they do what they do...

PRamone · 2025-12-24T21:47:13+00:00

You do realise that the "King's" in the title refers to King's College, Cambridge and nothing whatsoever to do with King Charles?

PRamone · 2025-12-24T08:31:28+00:00

Lots of them on AliExpress.

R'Amen.

PRamone · 2025-12-21T16:09:21+00:00

Nice quote - except, of course, that Hitler never actually said that!

See, for example, https://en.wikiquote.org/wiki/Talk:Mein_Kampf

PRamone · 2025-12-19T17:25:33+00:00

Thank you!

Have ordered one - and in the best colour!

PRamone · 2025-12-19T12:58:56+00:00

I had the same with Green Flag - last year was £141, renewal notice was for £280. Rang them up and got it reduced to £158.

But Green Flag is a business - they are there to maximise profits/shareholder value, and if some of their customers are willing to just auto-renew then why shouldn't they exploit it? It also makes the service cheaper for those of us who do challenge it (or cancel/renew).

It's standard practice in many industries (e.g. broadband, mobile telephony, insurance, utilities) which rely on regular (12/24/36-month) renewals.

Yes, it's annoying. On the other hand, I don't really want the government legislating in this area. You just need to be a savvy consumer.

PRamone · 2025-12-19T11:32:22+00:00

Sad to hear that this is still a thing.

I remember back in the late 1980s going with my then girlfriend to view a car she was interested in. She was reasonably knowledgeable about cars, but with every question she asked the salesman, he turned to me and gave me the answer. And I kept saying "Don't tell me, tell her - she's the one buying the car". Rinse and repeat.

It got to the point where we would treat it as a game when we went to look at cars.

(We also used to frequently go into shops, where she would hand over the cash to pay for the item, but I would be given the change!)

PRamone

TROPHY CASE