I'd say that's because they're the people who talked to you on the phone, and a major part of their job is to be a liason to walk businesses through their rules

I'd say that's because they're the people who talked to you on the phone, and a major part of their job is to be a liason to walk businesses through their rules. You should look at them as someone who can inquire within the organization on your behalf, rather than someone to challenge the competency of. Such people can be pretty handy. Yes, I know, it's frustrating that they don't understand a lot about your business, but again, their job is communication, so it probably just means they don't have experience with talking to projects like yours. Why not educate them so the next project down the line has an easier time? Finally, the people who actually set those policies are very likely experienced and I'm going to guess are also pretty competent. If you are reasonable and have a positive attitude with the people you speak with on the phone, you might get to talk directly with such a person. I personally think that would have probably been the easiest way to resolve this matter.