I'm just stating how it has worked at WS since about 4 years before I actually signed up.
While I don't necessarily agree with the rule, I have to agree that you are correct. It's my understanding that an unverified professional isn't supposed to even allude to their expertise for fear of their opinion garnering undue deference without verification. The TOS on the subject was somewhat unclear previously, but I believe it's been clarified since then that we're not to say anything like "I'm an unverified ____, so take it fwiw, but I think ___" Understandable on an anonymous forum where anyone could claim to be anyone or anything.