"“I expect to lose half of you before I'm finished. I will use every means necessary, fair and unfair, to trip you up, to expose your weaknesses as a potential aviator.” Sgt Emil Foley, played by Lou Gossett Jr in movie "An Officer and a Gentleman".

That's Expedia speaking, using every means and words necessary or available, to trip up us potential flyers, and Expedia probably expects that at least half will drop by the wayside and accept Expedia's claim that airline policy enables them to keep the refund money and offer only a credit or voucher inplace of the refund. Of course, if you accept and when it's time to use the voucher for either the same or another itinerary, the price of that ticket will likely require a lot of extra real cash from you in addition to the amount of the voucher. Do not fall for Expedia's tactics.

Expedia is merely a sales representative for the airline, not a reseller or wholesaler. The purchase is between the airline as seller, and you as buyer, and you have full right to involve the airline in any and all matters that are part of the sales/purchase contract.

No one was confused in this saga -- not AA, not Expedia, and certainly not me.