Pants On Fire – Human Risks Of Buying A Used Car

Most people are basically honest but sometimes certain sectors of society may try to pull the wool over our eyes. Being aware of the sort of unconscious tics that are give-aways when someone is telling porkies. Such gestures as nose touching, mouth covering, fidgeting and throat clearing are all well known signs of someone telling a lie and detecting these signals could, for example, save used car buyers from making a costly mistake.

Prospective car buyers need to be on their guard and pay attention to more than just the condition of the car they are considering; they should observe a seller’s body language and facial expressions too. If you have ever had that uneasy feeling that someone was lying to you but couldn’t be sure of your own instincts it might well be because you’ve subconsciously noticed that something is not right.

If you get these feelings be on the lookout for tell-take signs. As mentioned, look for nose touching and mouth covering. Apparently people touch their noses more frequently or are more likely to cover their mouths when telling fibs.

Another potential tell-tale sign of lying to look for head-nodding like a loose necked dog mascot on the back parcel shelf. When the head is nodding or shaking in contrast to what is being said it’s a sure sign that all is not well. Too much fidgeting, either with their clothing, hair or things around them, could indicate that they are feeling uneasy and may be lying to you about the true history of the car in question.

Another favourite of behavioural analysts is to observe the level of ‘mirroring’ going on between themselves and the seller. When two people have a conversation, they tend to mirror the behaviour of each other. Shady car sellers mirror significantly less when lying.

On balance it is probably best to take someone else along to keep an eye on the vendor whilst the car inspection and test drive is in progress. If you don’t have the requisite auto skills then take along a knowledgeable ally and reverse the roles. You can’t just phone up and do a history check on a crook.