The OP did not state these were Basic Economy fares. Sorry for your situation, but clearly BE fares are lower since they don't offer any fare recovery even after a $200 fee.
Whenever you buy a non-refundable fare you face potential loss. The plus is that you usually don't cancel that often so the risk is worth it. Another reason not to buy BE fares. But of course if the fare is less than $200 - you would have nothing to gain by getting a non-BE fare, from a refund standpoint.