If Verizon claims that they don't have any apps that would prevent me from unlocking the phone, then why can't I unlock the bootloader? All I want to do is root my pre paid phone.
Welcome to Android Central! Verizon is talking about carrier-unlocking, not unlocking the bootloader. Not all phones can be rooted. If you can't find a good answer here, try the forums over at XDA-Developer.com.