What Is the Point of the Buyer Protection Fee?

I purchased an item on Yaga that was listed as "Like New", but when it arrived the front seam was coming undone and the inner label had been cut off and was heavily worn. None of this was mentioned in the listing.

I contacted the seller within the required 48-hour period and also reached out to Yaga support. Yaga told me to contact the seller directly regarding a return and refund, which I did. The seller has not responded.

My frustration is that buyers are charged a Buyer Protection Fee, but when an item is clearly not as described, there doesn't seem to be much actual protection. Instead, the buyer is left chasing an unresponsive seller and may even have to pay return shipping for a problem they didn't cause.

If an item is materially different from what was advertised, buyers shouldn't be left carrying the cost and inconvenience of fixing the situation themselves.