What significance may we attach to paying the entire bill up front?
He's using your money to buy the parts for the last customer. Work will not start on your order until he has another customer.
Bingo. Most of these horror stories seem to have the same themes: paying for parts up front often in full, without a credit card, to a person multiple states away.
If they don't accept credit cards, and want full payment without it being a 1:1 transaction, walk away. It's 2020, both of these indicate you're dealing with an unhealthy company. Thanks for the heads-up none the less.
