US — The Verge

The RealReal won’t let AI agents hog designer clothing

SoftwareOctober 27, 20262 min read

The RealReal, a secondhand luxury clothing site, has changed its bot defenses to make it harder for AI agents to shop there. This came after a test showed an AI agent could keep items locked in a shopping cart so other people could not buy them.

What happened

The RealReal said it is updating its bot defense system. The change came days after The Verge showed that an AI agent could take advantage of the site's item reserve system. When an item goes into a shopping cart, it is held for 20 minutes and other shoppers cannot buy it. The Verge used Meta's Muse AI agent to keep adding the same items back to the cart as soon as each hold ran out. This could block other buyers for hours or longer. The RealReal's chief technology officer, Luke Friang, said the company fixed this problem. Now it is much harder for all AI agents to log in, add items to a cart, and check out. Agents can still show listings and send users to product pages.

Key numbers

The reserve hold on an item lasts 20 minutes.
Meta said that shopping was the most common use of Muse so far.
Meta said the average purchase through Muse was over $200.
Meta said 10 million people in the US downloaded the Muse app in 40 days.

Why AI shopping bots are a new issue

AI agents are computer programs that can act for a person. They can search, click, and buy things. Tech companies sell them as helpers that can schedule meetings or make purchases. When bots shop instead of people, businesses may lose direct contact with customers. They may also lose advertising money. Amazon and other retailers have already blocked agents from shopping on their sites.

Why it matters

Rules made for people do not always work for bots. A reserve system works only if shoppers are slow or unsure. An AI agent does not get tired, so it can hold items for a very long time. This story shows that websites will need new ways to protect fair access. It also shows that the web may change as more people use AI helpers to shop.

What to watch

Whether other retailers add stronger bot defenses.
How Meta responds, since it did not reply right away to a request for comment.
Whether AI agents can still shop on big sites like The RealReal in a useful way.
How websites balance shopper convenience with protection from bots.

Glossary

The RealReal: A website that sells used luxury fashion items, such as designer clothes and bags.
AI agent: A computer program that can do tasks for a person, such as searching for and buying products.
Muse: Meta's AI agent app, which the article says was used to test the hold system.

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