Who I have the same questioned this topic

Are there any tactics I can use to coerce an unlock code out of Verizon for my android phone? The phone is nearly four years old, and the contract on it expired nearly two years ago, so there's no agreement or early termination to worry about. The phone has a standard SIM slot, and according to its settings panel, it supports a myriad of wireless modes, including CDMA and GSM. When I put in an AT&T SIM card and switch the phone to GSM, it prompts "Enter SIM unlock PIN." I tried "000000" and "123456" as listed at Device Unlocking Policy | Verizon Wireless, but neither worked.

I went to two different Verizon retailers, but neither had any staff who had any clue what the term "unlocking" referred to. One of them gave me the support number where I ended up with "Advanced Technical Support." I had to explain to the representative that typically the customer gives the carrier the phone's IMEI, and the carrier can give back an unlock code which allows the phone to be used with another carrier's SIM. The woman told me that Verizon does not unlock phones, except for global usage, but that she would be happy to send me a Verizon SIM card, which I didn't want.

Ordinarily I would be satisfied with her answer, but I stumbled across this statement from the CTIA: http://www.ctia.org/policy-initiatives/voluntary-guidelines/consumer-code-for-wireless-service. I understand that this is a set of voluntary guidelines, however section 12.2 requires participating carriers to provide customers with the information necessary to unlock their phones. Furthermore, Verizon Wireless is listed as a participant along with seven other carriers.

So, what gives? Does this "Consumer Code for Wireless Service" mean anything at all? Am I better of trashing the phone and buying an unlocked one? What experiences have you had with getting an unlock code from a carrier?