Get an even better free phone plan from RingPlus
From the Cheapskate: The upstart carrier raises the stakes yet again with 1,800 minutes and messages, plus 1.8GB of data. Free. For real.
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Wow, you guys are seriously into LED light bulbs! Good to know. I'll keep my eyes out for more (and better) deals.
Just a couple weeks ago I called out (ha) RingPlus for offering the best cheap cell service of 2015, and already the company is back with an even better deal for 2016.
The company's Cézanne Free Plan comes with 1,800 voice minutes, 1,800 text messages and 1,800MB of 4G LTE data. Cost to get started: $20. Total cost per month: $0, unless you exceed those limits or venture into one of a few premium options. Even then: peanuts.
This is the third time I've shared a RingPlus promotion, and every time I say it sounds too good to be true. But it isn't. I don't know what kind of crazy scheme these guys are running (I kid, I kid), but I'll take it.
In fact, I took it -- I signed up for RingPlus last time around, assigning the number to an old, unused iPhone. Presto: perfect backup phone. It's on Sprint's network (not the only option -- read on), which in my neighborhood isn't great. But everything works, 100 percent.
As before, there are a few caveats. In fact, it's probably easiest if you read my post from November, most of which is still applicable. It explains that even some non-Sprint phones can be used with RingPlus -- woo! The big catch, again, is that MMS messages aren't included. They'll cost you $0.04 apiece unless you use iMessage or some other data-based messaging app.
Also, don't panic if you see a "sold out" message. It simply means new customers have burned through the company's allotment of new accounts, but more will be added at various times throughout the day. Translation: keep trying.
Finally, there's an eligibility requirement this time out, and that goes like this:
1) Share the CNET article (this one right here) about the Cézanne Free Plan on your social media via the Facebook and/or Twitter links above the CNET article.
2) During signup at RingPlus.net for the Cézanne Free Plan, the subscriber will need to complete a short survey.
3) During signup at RingPlus.net for the Cézanne Free Plan, the subscriber will be asked to link their Facebook or Twitter account to their RingPlus account in order to post about RingPlus.
Got all that? Not a lot to ask considering what you're getting in return.
If you signed up for RingPlus last time around, hit the comments and let your fellow Cheeps know how it's going. I think it's pretty remarkable.
Bonus deal: Hey, where's the bonus deal? Short version: no bonus deal today. Long version: I'm writing this late on Tuesday night, after a long day of flight cancellation/standby madness en route to CES (Vegas, baby!). So the main deal is queued up and ready to go, but there's nothing bonus-worthy that I can be sure will still be around come morning. Can't survive without your extra deal? Head to Freegal Music, where your library card will bring you free MP3 downloads every week. It's an oldie but goodie!