The RealReal Blocks AI Agents From Locking Up Designer Inventory

The RealReal has updated its website security to stop artificial intelligence agents from holding designer items in shopping carts. The secondhand luxury retailer implemented the changes to prevent automated programs from blocking human customers from purchasing available goods.

The move follows a report revealing that users could employ Meta's Muse assistant to exploit the site's reserve system. On The RealReal, any item placed in a cart is removed from general availability for 20 minutes. The Verge demonstrated that Muse could automatically re-add items to a cart immediately after the 20-minute window expired. This process allowed the AI to keep specific listings off the market for several hours, effectively reserving them for one user while others searched for stock.

Luke Friang, the company's chief technology officer, confirmed the fix via email after the story published. He stated that the new bot defense configuration makes it difficult for agents to log in, add items to carts, or complete checkouts. However, agents will still be able to find listings and direct users to product pages. Friang said the company will continue strengthening protections as AI shopping tools develop.

Meta did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The company has promoted its agents as personalized assistants capable of scheduling meetings and making purchases. During its third-quarter earnings call this month, Meta identified shopping as the most common use case for Muse. The company noted that average purchases through the tool exceeded $200. Muse has seen rapid adoption, with 10 million downloads in the United States within 40 days of its launch.

Retailers are increasingly concerned about how AI agents interact with their sites. Amazon has already blocked agents from shopping on its platform. Executives worry that if consumers stop visiting websites directly and instead interact through chatbots, companies lose direct access to their customers. This shift could impact advertising revenue and sales data.

The situation highlights the strain AI places on traditional e-commerce mechanics. Human shoppers typically have a limit on how long they will spend indecisively re-adding items to a cart. An AI agent has no such limit. It can perform the repetitive task of maintaining a hold on inventory indefinitely. This capability allows millions of consumers to use automated tools to secure popular items, forcing retailers to adjust their systems to keep pace with automated purchasing behavior.