AI shopping agents are all the buzz, but not all online shopping platforms are 100% on board.

Secondhand luxury shopping platform The RealReal told The Verge this week that it was fortifying its bot defense system against AI shopping agents. The decision reportedly came after the outlet found that AI agents can be used to exploit a feature that allows The RealReal users to put items “on hold” for 20 minutes by placing them in their shopping cart. With AI shopping agents able to work around the clock, The Verge reporters used Meta’s Muse shopping agents to keep items on hold for hours on end, preventing other shoppers from buying them.

The RealReal will now make it tougher for shopping agents to log in to its platform, add items to carts, and check out, according to the report.

The RealReal isn’t alone in its position against agentic shopping. Despite a growing list of companies that are jumping on the agentic shopping bandwagon, there is also a lengthy list of those remaining somewhat more cautious.…