startSSL class 2 certificate

Question

StartSSL.com seems to be selling cheap SSL certs, but I wonder if anyone actually have experience using their certs.

StartSSL™ Verified StartSSL™ Verified (Class 2) digital certificates are ideal for authentication, B2B and B2C transactions, protection of electronic mail and signing of object code and macros. More than that, StartSSL™ Verified provides a level of flexibility and support options not found anywhere else. StartSSL™ Verified supports: Web server certificates (SSL/TLS) Wild cards (*.domain.com) Multiple domains (DNS Alt Names) 128/256-bit encryption Object Code Signing Client and mail certificates (S/MIME) US $ 10,000 insurance guaranteed Certificates 2 Years valid (730 days)

Is it safe to share personal passport information and company information with them for personal/organization validated certs? (their website looks crapy and help email bouncing)

I am interested in signing code, and if that works for web server as well, that would be great.

Any other alternatives?

Answer 1

Edit in February 2018
As noted by others in the comments, StartSSL certificates are no longer trusted by browsers, and they are no longer issued. I recommend taking a look at Let's Encrypt instead.

Original answer
I just signed up with them. After submitting my passport (with some info blacked out, just in case) I got a call almost instantly from a representative wanting to verify some information.

Haven't found any info about them being shady, and given that they have been accepted as a root CA by Microsoft, I believe they are legit.