I flew back in April with just hand luggage but having read the advice from Easy Jet I checked in at the desk. My bag was 12.2kg so the guy asked me to take out my laptop and carry it. The bag then weighed less than the 10kg allowance and he passed it. I walked about 20 feet away from the desk and put the laptop back in my bag. The guy saw me do this but didn't bat an eyelid.
Why would you even consider not checking in if the advice says you will not be allowed to fly if you don't have a validation stamp? That's some risk to take if you think they might be joking.