So, one part of this issue was resolved satisfactorily. They gave me some AAdvantage miles to compensate me for the broken handle on the luggage, even though it's not technically their fault nor are they responsible to do anything.

They answered my email in one day.

I think that's actually excellent customer service; they adhered to the policy that they have regarding not fixing the luggage strap, which is fine, but they still did something for me to make up for the issue.

I've just written the letter to the refunds department about the fees, but that takes longer so I'll post to let you know how it goes.