Culture clash- odd shopping experience

So the other day, we went back to good ol' carrefore. i didn't bring very many layering options, i pretty much planned for hot and cold, not anything inbetween, so i'd wanted to pick up an extra zip-up sweater or two. So i walk to the women's department with vivian, analisa, and sarah. i see something i like, but it's on the very bottom shelf. so i kneel down and find one i think could be my size. i hold it up to me and think it's ok, but just wanted to see if there was something a bit larger so that it serves it's layering purposes. i put the zipup on the floor in front of me and riffle through the pile looking for a larger size.

suddenly, a store employee picks up the shirt and starts to walk away, but i frantically try to say "wait, i want that". she gets my gestures and hands it back, and walks away. i go back to the isle where the girls are, and see more zipup options. so i'm holding the original zipup in one arm and am looking through a set of zipups hanging on a rack, when the same employee grabs the sweater out of my arm and motions for me to follow her.

analissa follows me, thankfully, as this woman charges to the other side of the store to the electronics section, where i see a register. the employee at the register sees the sweater and pulls out a laminated barcode sheet. now, the sweater was on sale, and i saw the sale price on this laminated sheet, so i was thoroughly confused, but thought maybe i needed something special in order to check out this sale item.

but then it appears as though they want me to pay!

so i try to convey that i am still shopping. analissa then desperatly tries to convey that we are still looking. i pull out my chinabook and it has something similar to "we are still looking" in it. but these employees do not seem to understand. we are told to wait, and a third employee comes up and she speaks very little english, but more than the other two.

"you must pay before you leave."

"yes, we know. we are still shopping."

"ok, but must pay before (gestures the store exit)."

"yes, we know. (repeat phrase in book that we are still looking)."

"must pay before go."

"we know!"

it really was a game of "who's on first?"

back and forth, until finally analissa says "We don't want it."

and we walk away, thoroughly weirded out.

i ended up buying nothing i needed. and i'm debating whether or not to go back.

time to find the walmart!