So how is this any different than being in a 24 month contract with an early termination fee?

FORBES: Connect

Finally, to add insult to injury a termination fee of up to 3.5% might be charged against your balance when the funds are actually distributed.

FORBES: ETFs Are Friendly On Fees But Not Always Your Best Bet

We are including with this letter a draft merger agreement with the same terms as your announced transaction with Dell but which eliminates the termination fee.

FORBES: HP Tops Dell Bid For 3Par

Not only must you get a different device, but you'll owe Microsoft an early termination fee that will still bring your total outlay to 70 percent of your service commitment.

CNN: Analysis: Are PCs toast? Internet appliances arrive

Early termination fee and other restrictions apply.

ENGADGET: Microsoft sold over 750K Xbox 360s last week, more than double Wii U sales

That small amount of profit would come after you received your Buy-Back credit in the form of a Best Buy gift card and absorbed the penalty of breaking your two-year phone contract, commonly known as an early termination fee (ETF).

FORBES: Best Buy: Yes, You Can Make A Profit From Our New Buy Back Program

T-Mobile gets some credit for addressing the negative connotations of a legally binding agreement and an early termination "fee, " but if you want to keep the phone you obtained at the discounted price, you'll have to keep paying monthly installments until it's paid off.

ENGADGET: Switched On: Unconventional, but not uncompromising

There are a few sections of the contract that were redacted before the contract was provided pursuant to the open records request, but none of the provisions I see specifically require Texas to pay any sort of fee or penalty upon termination.

FORBES: Longhorn Network Isn't A Roadblock For Texas To Join Pac-12