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It’s hard to find good information about bots for several reasons:

1) Many BST groups do not allow any discussion of them (even though they are widely used)
2) Where discussion is allowed, such as in chat groups, most of the people do not know what they are talking about, even though they think they do
3) Newcomers are afraid to ask their BST friends out of fear because they don’t know how they will react

The result of all this is a lot of bad information being spread.

So here’s the nitty gritty truth from somebody in the business. First I’ll answer some frequently asked questions, and then I’ll address some common myths about bots.

Frequently Asked Questions:

What is a bot?

A bot is a “computer program” that helps you make a purchase faster than you would normally be able to, which increases your chances of getting an item with limited quantities.

Who uses bots?

Lots of people. Some of the most vocal “bot haters” who swear that they would NeVeR use a bot are actually using them. It’s just how it is.

Why would you use a bot?

The main reason why people use bots is to give themselves the best chance of being able to buy a limited item at retail value so that they do not have to pay inflated resale prices.

Common Myths About Bots

Myth #1: People who use bots just want to flip

False. I’m in a unique position because I know exactly who uses bots and exactly what they are buying, and I can tell you that the vast majority of bot users are true fans of these boutiques and just want the items for themselves.

When they do flip, the logic behind it is generally “let me buy one and then flip one to pay for the purchase,” and not “this is my new side hustle.”

Myth #2: Bots hurt market value

The business model of most of the brands that we support is to keep supply lower (often far lower) than the demand. So, while most “normal” companies will increase supply as demand increases, BST brands intentionally keep the supply lower than the demand.

They sometimes don’t like to admit that it’s intentional, but it is.

In this business model what matters is not how the items are purchased or even how many are produced, it’s all about the amount of inventory relative to the amount of people trying to buy that inventory.

In other words, it’s essential that there are more people trying to buy these items than actual items available.

Whether bots are being used to make the purchases is irrelevant.

If you want to keep market value for your favorite brands strong, help them grow so that demand remains consistently high.

Myth #3: Bots are the enemy of boutiques

False. We drive thousands and thousands of dollars in revenue to their companies and give them thousands and thousands of dollars of free advertising.

I’ve spent the past 2+ years of my life chatting about their releases, educating customers on their brands and products (which especially helps out the little guys), and even doing their customer service. 

Their success is my success, so I am far from the enemy.

Some people seem to imagine me as an 18-year old Russian hacker or something, but I’m actually I’m a 30-year-old BST mom who lives in Florida. SweetCarts was born from my love of these brands, not whatever other nefarious motivations that people imagine.

There’s no way I would stay up until the wee hours of the morning chatting with ya’ll about releases, or answering your questions at 6:00 AM on a Sunday if it were any other way.

In my opinion, the true enemy of boutiques are those that sell remakes, as their purpose is to drive business away from these brands and toward themselves. My purpose is to drive revenue toward these brands, and if I make a little on the top…well I’ve got to eat.

Myth 4: Bots are sketchy/unsafe

Our bots are all available on the Google Chrome Webstore. Every version that we upload has to be reviewed by a Google employee for your safety. We’re also PCI compliant—we do not store your credit card information in any way.

What you enter into the bot is encrypted, stays only on your computer, and is automatically deleted every 3 days for your security.

When you pay on our website, your card information goes directly to our payment processor and stays there. I couldn’t access your credit card information even if I tried.

This is not the case with all bots, so you are right to be wary, but we take extraordinary measures to make sure you’re safe.

*****

That’s all I’ve got for now. If you have any more questions, just let us know

To learn more about what bots we offer, click here. 

Being in the business of providing bots for popular online boutiques, I have heard it all, trust me!

Moms are always willing to share their opinions, whether positive or negative, and I love that about our community. In turn, I am always willing to hear anybody out.

But the ONE accusation that I hate more than anything is that “bots are for resellers.”

WRONG. 

I’ve personally spoken to hundreds (if not thousands) of moms in the BST community, and not once have I ever heard a mom say that they want a bot in order to flip the dress. Overwhelmingly, our moms buy the dresses to have and to hold and NOT to flip.

Does it happen, YES. Is it the norm? NO.

In fact, you know what moms say? They want the bots to PROTECT THEMSELVES from the resellers who ARE. It is far cheaper to buy a bot than paying an extra $50-$100 PER ITEM.

So you can hate bots all you want, but please know that the users who buy bots are not doing it to make a buck off of you. They want to buy the clothing for their sons and daughters to protect themselves from those who simply cart to flip.

End of story.