Transparency and full disclosure are the basis of most consumer protection laws. Companies must tell their would-be customers everything they need to know, so that they can make an informed decision about buying their product or committing to a contract with them over a number of years.

When it comes to a contract, that means how much they are going to have to pay every month, for how many months, and what it will cost them if they want to exit the contract before the term is up.

The devil lies in the small print...