How to unlock the Verizon iPhone 5?

I'm thinking of keeping it and just paying the Early Termination Fee. The thing is, despite all those articles saying that the iPhone 5 on Verizon is unlocked, it is not. I called Apple to verify it and upon giving them the serial number, I was told it was locked. So is there a way to get it unlocked?

Added (1). Angry Sailor 302, did you not read the rest of my question? I'm going to pay the Early Termination Fee/ETF. Service on it has already been cancelled.

If it isn't unlocked then there's no way to get it unlocked right now, but this is the first I've ever heard of a Verizon iPhone 5 being locked. Verizon doesn't unlock phones unless its for international use since most Verizon phones don't even have SIM cards anyway, and there's no SIM interposers that work on iPhone 5 right now like the Gevey SIM. If you cancelled your service then Verizon isn't going to help you.

As it stands, if putting another nano SIM in it doesn't work (which basically everyone who has a Verizon iPhone5 says it does), you currently have a $600 iPod Touch.

There's no way to unlock iphone 5 now.

You would have to pay the ETF if you decide to cancel the service and have Verizon unlock it.

Verizon will not unlock it if it is still under contract.

Once the ETF is paid in full, then you can call Verizon to have it unlocked.