Absolutely not US-specific; happens all the time here in Canada; and it’s certainly happened, even to myself - pretty recently.
AppleCare is so much better than it ‘officially’ says it is.
AppleCare is so much better than it ‘officially’ says it is.
And as you note this is AppleCare ( assuming you mean AppleCare+ ). Especially when AppleCare replacement part is part of their cost centre.