iPhone 17 Pro Silicone Case cracking near charging port

iPhone 17 pro silicone case. 2 and a half months old. It is cracked between the charging opening and the two speaker grills. Never dropped, only removing the case to clean. Apple support says this is not a manufacturing defect but a user issue. Had the same issue with a 15 silicone case. Same response when taken to Apple Store. Have others experienced the same issue?