The RealReal has updated its bot defence system to block AI agents from exploiting its item reserve mechanism. Previously, an automated script using Meta’s Muse model could repeatedly add luxury listings to a shopping cart. This action held items unavailable for other buyers for twenty minutes. The retailer now restricts this behaviour to prevent artificial demand from skewing inventory management.
This move highlights a specific vulnerability in how secondhand luxury sites handle high-value stock. Without these checks, algorithms could artificially inflate prices or create false scarcity. Retailers must distinguish between genuine human shoppers and automated scripts to maintain fair market conditions.
* The RealReal reserves items for twenty minutes after they enter a cart.
* Meta’s Muse model was used to automate the re-adding process.
* The update specifically targets scripts that exploit the hold period.
