Secondhand retailer blocks AI bots from holding designer items

The RealReal is tightening its security to stop AI agents from locking up designer inventory. The secondhand luxury fashion retailer said on Sunday that it is updating its bot defense system. The changes make it harder for automated programs to shop on the site.

The move follows recent reporting that identified a flaw in the company's item reserve system. On The RealReal's website, an item is unavailable to other customers for 20 minutes once a user adds it to their cart. An AI agent could be instructed to re-add items to the cart immediately after that 20-minute window expired. This process allowed the agent to block other shoppers from purchasing specific products for hours or longer.

Luke Friang, the company's chief technology officer, said in an email that the team has addressed the specific issue involving Meta's Muse agent. He stated that the new configuration makes it much more difficult for all agents to log in, add items to carts, and complete checkouts. Friang noted that agents can still surface listings and direct users to product pages. The company plans to continue strengthening its protections as AI-powered online shopping evolves.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment regarding the changes. The timing of the update is notable because Meta reported this month that shopping is the most common use case for Muse. The company said average purchases through the agent exceeded $200. Meta also disclosed that 10 million people in the US had downloaded the Muse app within 40 days of its launch.

Technology firms are marketing agents as always-on assistants that can schedule meetings and make purchases. This capability creates friction for retailers that rely on direct customer engagement. Major players like Amazon have already blocked agents from shopping on their sites to protect advertising revenue. The RealReal's update is part of a wider industry effort to adapt to non-human shoppers.

The reserve system on used clothing websites assumes a human buyer who may pause to decide on a purchase. An AI agent does not face this hesitation. It can perform the repetitive task of re-adding items indefinitely. This behavior effectively allows a bot to hoard inventory in a way that a human shopper could not easily replicate. Retailers are now adjusting their systems to account for this new dynamic.