<prompt> Human: This might not be the best sub for this, but I see a lot of posts here related to buying cars and such so I thought Id give it a try...I bought a car about three weeks ago and Im starting to wonder if something shady is going on.My wife wanted a particular year, make, model, color and package of a particular SUV. We searched and searched the entire state of Florida and finally found the exact car she wanted. The plan was to trade in the mini van and get the SUV. The dealer was asking 9,500. I called my bank, gave the VIN, and got approved for 13,500. That was apparently the max LTV they could do on that vehicle. I went into a branch and they printed out for me a check for that amount, made out to the dealer. This was perfect because it would also cover the upside-down portion of our mini van loan. I know this was maybe not the best financial decision but thats not really what this post is about.So we drove 4 hours to go get the car. It was a small family-owned dealership. They offered me 3,500 trade in on the mini van which I accepted. I offered 9,300 for the SUV which they accepted. It broke down like this:SUV cost: 9300 Trade in: -3,500 Net Price: 5,800 Taxes and Fees: 800 Total: 6,600 Payoff on the van: 6900 Grand total: 13,500 So I gave the dealer the check for 13,500. They would pay off the loan on the van and get the title. I would go home with the SUV. They gave me a temporary registration and we traded keys and left with the SUV. This took place on a weekend so they said the would be processing the loan payoff on the next business day and starting the title process with the DMV at that time as well, and we could expect the permanent registration and title in the mail in a few weeks.Three weeks have now passed and the loan on my mini van which I traded in has not been paid off. Each time I have called the dealership, they have told me they have a lady who comes on Fridays to do loans and titles and such, and she would take care of it the next time she was in.Now, I have a payment due on the loan for a car I traded in three weeks ago! So I called and spoke to the manager. He apologized and told me they dont handle trade ins like this very often. He asked me to send him a current payoff amount and he would send me a check and then I can pay off the loan myself. I agreed to this mainly because I dont know what else to do at this point. Obviously I will be careful to ensure the funds clear and all that.Obviously Im dealing with a small time outfit here. Ive been a small-business owner myself so Im not necessarily uncomfortable with that. But what does make me uncomfortable is that I dont know whats normal in these situations and whether or not Im at a big risk here, and what my possible remedies are.Any input will be appreciated. Thanks.  <response>: I would feel very uneasy about cashing a check from them so you could write your own. They should make the payoff with their check. If they persist, insist on receiving a certified check. If they balk, you know youre being scammed. Record your communications with them. Or verify them in emails after they take place. 