20-Minute Hold: The RealReal Tightens Rules After AI Bots Locked Up Inventory

The RealReal has changed how its website handles logins to stop AI agents from holding designer items out of reach of human shoppers. The update makes it harder for automated software to keep listings in shopping carts indefinitely.

The move follows a report showing that Meta’s Muse app could exploit the retailer’s reserve system. On The RealReal site, an item becomes unavailable to others for 20 minutes after a user adds it to their cart. The AI agent was programmed to re-add the item every time that 20-minute window expired. This process blocked other customers from buying the products for hours at a time.

Luke Friang, the company’s chief technology officer, said in an email that the team addressed the specific issue with Muse. He stated that the new bot defense configuration makes it much more difficult for any agent to log in, add items to a cart, and complete a checkout. Agents can still show users product pages, but they can no longer easily lock up stock.

Meta said on its third-quarter earnings call that shopping is the most common use case for Muse. The company reported that the average purchase through the app was over $200. Ten million people in the United States downloaded the app within 40 days of its launch.

Retailers are watching how these automated buyers change online commerce. Amazon has already blocked agents from shopping on its site to protect its advertising revenue. The RealReal’s update shows that smaller platforms are also adjusting their security to match the new reality of AI-driven shopping.

The change highlights a shift in how consumers interact with the web. Instead of visiting sites directly, users may rely on assistants to find and buy items. This removes a direct link between retailers and customers. It also places new demands on systems designed for human behavior, such as time-limited holds on inventory.