beach,are you talking & writting to the IRS or 1 of the companies that the debt has been assigned???
If a company that it was assigned....they can take a flying leap.........contact the IRS and tell them that you need to work only with them (this is law)
IF you are dealing with the IRS...call again & talk to someone (everytime that you call you get a different person) IF they won't work with you ask to speak to a superviser!. The super might need to call you back but they will!! Always get the name of the person that you speak to!!!
When asking to talk to a super is very different then when you do it with a creditor.