The RealReal Updates Bot Defenses After AI Agents Locked Up Inventory

The RealReal, a secondhand luxury fashion consignment retailer, has updated its bot defense system to make it harder for AI agents to shop on its platform. The change follows reports that an AI agent could exploit the company's item reserve system to block other buyers.

The RealReal places an item on hold for 20 minutes once a user adds it to a shopping cart, making it unavailable to other customers. Reporting by The Verge in October demonstrated that Meta’s Muse agent could be instructed to continuously re-add listings to a cart as soon as the 20-minute hold expired. This process effectively blocked other shoppers from purchasing specific designer products for hours or longer.

Luke Friang, the company's chief technology officer, said in an email that The RealReal addressed the specific use case flagged by the report. The updated bot defense configuration now makes it much more difficult for all agents to log in, add items to cart, and check out. Friang noted that agents will still be able to surface listings and direct users to product pages. The company plans to continue strengthening protections as AI-powered online shopping evolves.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the update. The issue arises as technology companies market AI agents as personalized assistants capable of scheduling meetings, planning events, and purchasing goods. Meta stated on its third-quarter earnings call this month that shopping is the most common use case for Muse so far. The company reported that average purchases through the agent exceeded $200.

Muse has gained rapid traction, with 10 million people in the United States downloading the app in 40 days. This growth highlights the expanding role of AI agents in consumer transactions. Retailers like Amazon have already recognized that agents could disrupt advertising revenue and have blocked agents from shopping on their sites.

The RealReal's adjustment addresses a specific friction point in online retail: the reserve system. A human shopper has a realistic limit on how long they will spend re-adding an item to a cart if they are indecisive. An AI agent, however, performs this task without fatigue. The RealReal's move aims to prevent this automated busywork from locking up inventory that other customers wish to buy.

The update signals a shift in how retailers interact with automated buyers. As millions of consumers begin to use AI agents for shopping, companies are adjusting their security protocols to ensure that inventory remains accessible to human shoppers while still allowing agents to browse and recommend products.