Yeah, really simple thought. This violates the DoT mandate that refunds must be offered within 24 hours for fares for which 24 hour Hold is not possible. It is not AA's option to have a "policy" about this. If you call again, I'd suggest inquiring about this.
Cheers.
Are we talking about tickets exUSA? AFAIK tickets purchased or originating from abroad are not covered by the DOT policy. USA carriers can choose whether to offer the same hold/cancellation policies on such tickets. We don't know the OP's location or route, so DOT rules might not be applicable.