I am curious. Why does a person need to leave money with SR. I always guessed the money went from buyer to seller directly. I would have expected better from SR than this. Now you have no legal recourse to get your money back.

SR is a hidden service and contracts involving banned substances are illegal themselves.
Here in Argentina. Someone bought something on the eBay equivalent and received instead an empty box package.
There is logical sense of why SR has an internal payment system - escrow system.
How would SR be anonymous if you sent the btc directly to the sellers btc address? lol.