Panel filter query - TS versus AH fitment.

I bought a panel filter online for my TS and to get it to fit, I had to make cuts on the long sides to get it to bend around the heater fan housing.
The original GM unit was flexible and needed no messing around to get it to fit.
My question is: The same panel filter apparently fits the AH Astra as well. Does it need to bend around any hardware to get it to fit in an AH or is plug and play and therefore doesn't need to have flexible attributes?
Typically the online suppliers think that the same dimensions means the unit will be a universal fit.
Has anyone else had this issue?

I have made it fit with a note to self. "Get the GM one next time"

Never had any issues fitting genuine cabin filters into ts Astras

Shouldn't need any cutting

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This is a non genuine unit, hard sided. I took out the GM original type which is flexible.
My query is, does the hard sided version fit into the AH without needing to bend around any hardware like the TS has to?