Indeed. The differences between active cables and passive, especially for USB-C vs. Thunderbolt, often make it confounding to help someone at a distance.

The tiny logo symbols (if present at all) are easily overlooked or mis-interpreted.

For myself I have taken to purchasing mostly Thunderbolt 4 cables and accessories. When plugged into an actual USB-C thing, I will find myself at the mercy of the interoperability gods.