Why is one year contracts so expensive anymore?  ETF's simply do not jive with upgrade prices.

Ok so I was looking at the LG Octane, but was shocked at the prices for a one year upgrade.  The retail price is listed at $249.99.  The ETF is $175.  So if I subtract the "subsidized" amount of $175 from the $250, I should be buying this thing for less than $75.  Why is it almost $220 with a $50 online discount, making it almost $170?
The carriers for years have been saying that the ETF's were to protect themselves from people quiting early, and them losing the retail price of the phone.  It seems to me that they are getting closer to $345 for the LG octane with all the upfront price of the phone and the ETF fees, if someone was to quit early.
I also was told by several dealers that I can get this phone for FREE with a 2 year contract, but I can not find any similar reasonable deals on a one year contract.  Currently, if I buy a LG OCTANE on a one year contract, I am paying at least $100 more than the phone should be.
I have heard the excuse a few times that "it is for the carrier to recoup lost service revenue also", but again, that is not what the ETF's have been used for, for over 20 years.  It is also contrary to the excuses that they have said to CONGRESS to justify the need for ETF's.
So, please explain to me why the ETF's are this high, or why the cost of the phones are this high, when they were never meant to be used like this???????

For what it's worth, you posted this in 2011, and here in 2014 I am still having this same issue. Over the last two days, I have had to unlock my apple account 8 times. I didn't get any new devices. I haven't initiated a password reset. I didn't forget my password. I set up two factor authentication and have been able to do the unlocking with the key and using a code sent to one of my devices. 
That all works.
It's this having to unlock my account every time I go to use any of my devices. And I have many: iMac, iPad, iPad2, iPad mini, iPhone 5s, iPod touch (daughter), and my old iPhone 4 being used as an ipod touch now.  They are all synced, and all was working just fine.
I have initiated an incident with Apple (again) but I know they are just going to suggest I change my Apple ID. It's a simple one, and one that I am sure others think is theirs. I don't want to change it. I shouldn't have to. Apple should be able to tell me who is trying to use it, or at least from where.
Thanks for listening,
Melissa

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