Looking for a traditional payg sim only

DarrenLee02

I am a bit stuck yes. I know for a fact Three is rubbish in my area (in Scotland outside the central belt).

It looks like Asda wins.

Mister_G

I've been on O2 Classic PAYG since it first started.  As long as you make a chargeable call/text every 180 days it doesn't expire.  You do not need to top up every 6 months.
I recently put my wife onto O2 Classic using a SIM purchased on eBay.  It appears to work in exactly the same way as my one.
I understand your issue with Three, as in rural Hampshire coverage is very patchy outside of the towns.

Frozen_up_north

Be careful with O2 and their Classic PAYG, there have been reports of new customers activating “new old stock” SIM cards not getting the Classic, which ceased being available to new customers a few weeks ago. You might be lucky, but equally you might not.

Three tend to have better coverage along main roads and in urban areas. But in all cases check the actual (outdoor) coverage with the Rootmetrics web page/app. All 4 UK networks are listed on Rootmetrics.

Mister_G

Well, when I activated my "new old stock" SIM card it clearly tells you what the tariff is, so you would know straight away if it wasn't the Classic tariff.

DarrenLee02

Maybe hit or miss then. I saw an O2 classic sim on Amazon, and recent reviewers saying that when activated they got immediately switched to a bundle.

mac.d

Check out the Ken's Tech Tips site for their PAYG guide. If Three are no good signal-wise, and you don't use enough to merit the bundles, then definitely Asda Mobile appears the best option.