There was when I filed for the adoption credit - after I submitted the paperwork through my tax preparer - I had to fax the same paperwork and talk to an IRS employee 3 times just to make sure I got my refund check...I did - but had I not stayed on top of it - logged the calls and wrote names and times down — I doubt it would have happened — the IRS made it absolutely chaotic and stressful...
The key is to deal with them as little as possible, but in cases like yours, you have no choice but to keep an accurate paper trail. 65-70% of the scum who now work for the IRS (and far too many Fed agencies) are AA/EEOC hires and don’t have a discernible brain. They just fill chairs and quotas.
They were hoping you would give up so the agent could send the check to himself.