Damaged item equals automatic return?

I received a package that arrived damaged. I reached out to the seller, but no response. I put a ticket into Mercari who told me to return the damaged item for a full return. Is this the normal process when receiving a damaged product? I've received two damaged products in the past, and I've never had to return the broken item. The item was delivered on Friday but now it's telling me to wait 72 hours for a full refund.