The community was pleasant and competent, and the bot was free to use, so I figured I had nothing to lose.
OP, you show the reason for your deception in your post. "The bot was free, the community is competent." How did you conclude the community? Next, "free bot," and therefore, you have nothing to lose? That's where you got caught. Start changing your thinking urgently. Not everything free should be yours. Moreover, you should be stopped by the word "free," since everyone knows that "there is always free cheese only in a mousetrap."