From a little different perspective as a site Vendor, I will say that most of my shop's business comes from FABO members. I like it that way. Most of my customers turn into friends, and some my friends hire me too. Since its grand opening in 2007, I've worked with and for literally hundreds of FABO members; to date, there's only two that I will not work with again. As stated by most already, communication and cooperation between the parties are key to a great transaction.
Using a credit card and/or PayPal allow the buyer some protection but PayPal has time limitations to file a claim (45 days) and a 'slimy savvy' seller will use that limitation to his or her advantage, stretching it out with BS emails and unexpected 'delays' until your time is up and he can walk away smiling with your money. Further, marking your payment as a "gift" eliminates the transaction fee, but what you're giving up is worth much more: You're effectively selling any buyer protection you may otherwise be entitled to under their policies.
You've gotten a lot of good advice already. Since you're a new member, you may or may not be aware of FABO's only totally informal "recourse" to inform other members about great deals. It's a Good Guy Alert (or Good Girl as the case may be :-D). Those advising the membership of deals on the other side of the coin take any number of titles but they're always pretty self-explanatory. Just keep in mind there are two sides to every story, get to know the people you wish to work with, and don't be too shy to ask for references and/or read their feedback rating (found on their profile when you click the user name).
Enjoy the site and have a Merry Christmas in the meantime! :-D
