[thelist] purchasing a SLL certificate

[Nan Harbison]

Hi all,
 
Can someone please explain in easy to understand language why SSL
certificates come in a several varieties, with different prices, some prices
being in the hundreds of dollars, and some are cheap - godaddy sells one for
$20.
 
When I ask tech support, they say it has to do with the validation, but
doesn't that mean that it proves who we the company accepting credit card
payment for services? When I purchase an item online, I always check for the
lock in the lower right corner of the window, but knowing whether the
company was "validated' and paid much more money for their certificate seems
totally invisible. Maybe I am not understanding this at all?
 
TIA
 
nan