I mean in this case you literally want them to track your purchases so that you can return defective bulbs without keeping the receipts.

Sure, but not for any other purpose, and that's what GP means.

It's like GPS tracking: I track every trip I make with OsmAnd's tracking feature automatically when it starts routing. But I wouldn't trust Google Maps to do the same with their location history feature. Their usage of the data isn't limited to what's in my best interest, so I'll collect it myself.

if you don't pay cash, you are also being tracked (credit cards)... and soon/now you will also need a mask/burka to avoid being tracked (facial recognition).

edit: you probably also should not be carrying any tracking device with you (aka, cellphone)