If you're silly enough to get an $800 phone whether it's on a tab or outright, that's your lookout. There are plenty of cheaper phones that work perfectly well. The point is that when you purchase a phone from a carrier on a 2 year tab, the carrier takes all the risk and charges no interest on what is effectively a loan with an installment plan. They cover some of that risk with the unlock fee. Complaining about that or calling it a rip off is like complaining when you have to pay a deposit due to bad credit.
How often do you suppose that it occurs that a person gets a new expensive phone on a tab then gets the phone unlocked and sells it online to someone in China or somewhere else the IMEI blacklist cannot be enforced? All those costs must be accounted for. If people want lower prices for their services they should quit crying about how much their phones cost and quit trying to rip off their carriers.
If that sounds a bit self-righteous, it's because it is. I'm ok with that. I paid $180 for my great Moto G 2nd gen, in full, unlocked. Thanks to Rogers Open Enrollment, I was even able to get device protection despite it being a non-Rogers phone. Win-Win. And since I didn't get a phone on a tab, my plan is $20 cheaper than if I got the latest i-thing. I say if you want to take out an $800 no-interest loan with a wireless company, fill your boots, but don't complain after if there's an extra burden attached to the privilege.
