Ahh thanks for the clarification, that answers my question surely--I have not used them yet but have just been a browser
I read over their guarantee quickly and saw the "Your tickets will be authentic and valid for entry" and thought they must be validated but ya, after reading the fine print (lol) the recourse for a problematic ticket involves a refund, but they do have a number to contact them immediately from the venue if there's a problem with your ticket...
Anyone interested, the guarantee referenced here is at :
http://www.stubhub.com/fanprotect-guarantee-legal
I have noticed that some of the ebay no-reserve auctions have actually gone for *under* cost (ouch) and am keeping my eyes out on both ebay and stubhub for some good deals...looks like they may indeed be possible! Of course, ebay is a-whole-nother ball of wax and although sellers do have 'guarantees' I'm not sure exactly how you can rest assured for any recourse if there is a problem...although feedback rating is somewhat indicative of the reputation, etc.