It's one of those things where people put value in the opportunity. Some people would not have bought a new phone at the time if not for the chance to get the new phone in the future. So while this was a fancy word for financing the phone and bundling of services at a discount, and people aren't losing a phone they "paid for," people did pay for it because of the perk.

People aren't really losing money because of this being cancelled, but some of them only paid for the program in the first place because of something they aren't now getting.