I wanted to update my inquiry for anyone else having the same issue. After trying to call randomly for 4 months I didn't get anybody from the IRS main office, the Kansas City office, or the tax advocate line aside from the one time I got through to the tax advocate they told me just to wait it out.
In mid July I received a CP 504 letter from the IRS saying that they are going to seize my assets and possibly suspend my passport because I owed the same amount on the refund check that I had sent back plus interest charges. I had a freak out and the next day I called and called and called the IRS line at the 1040 number. I finally got a hold of someone after waiting on hold for an hour and a half and they told me that just a week prior the IRS noted that there was a representative looking into my account from the returned refund check department. A week and a half later I checked my account transcript online and it finally showed a zero balance owed with zero penalties, noting the refund check had been re-credited to my account.
So it took over four and a half months for the Kansas City office to open my certified mail with the refund check returned in it. All the while they were sending me nasty grams and then finally a threatening letter that they were going to seize my assets!
This was one of the most stressful times I've ever had and it all could have been avoided if they opened their freaking mail and answered their phones! It is such a shame that I and many others have went through this. Now I know if I ever receive an erroneous refund check again that I will just cash it and then write another check to the IRS when I get a statement that I owe the same amount. I was so upset that I did the right thing and followed the directions the IRS gave on their own website regarding erroneous checks and I ended up spending money on getting certified mail sent and all the stress and all the phone calls I tried to make when I should have just ignored their instructions and cashed it.
