Trouble returning merchandise to WalMart - help?

Last night at Wal-Mart, I paid for two $200 gift cards, and then decided it wasn't necessary to give out both cards, nor at such a high value. So, as soon as I checked out, receipt in hand, I limped down the floor and went into customer service - immediately after, I checked out mind you I literally walked from the register to the department after speaking for a second with mom, who told me to lower the price on the cards.

I went in and politely asked them to erase one of the cards, and please leave $25 on the other as my Christmas gift, giving me back the $375 remainder (of my own money).

The Customer Service lady tells me that it's not store policy to cash out cards because, as I understood her, people were getting the cards as gifts, cashing them in, and I assumed then spending the money elsewhere, somewhere they weren't getting screwed over by their Walmarts. I say screwed over because I go to two different stores, who each often have two different prices for the same goods, and they're only twenty minutes apart in PA and NY.

Both of these stores naturally carry goods made in and then imported from China. I understand it's a business and they need to turn a profit, that the Chinese need work, too, but I hate shopping in stores any more. Outsource and import from the same country seems silly, but it's a business model.

So back to my issue, now I have a $25 gift card to give away and $375 of "Wal-mart only" money that I feel I should be allowed to cash back into my own pocket.

I'm going back and asking for the store manager, because that just seems ridiculous to me - I picked up the cards, filled them, never wrote on them, and still with my receipts in hand, I couldn't return the goods - just let me put the cards back on the shelf, and give me my money.

What do you all think? Are there any Wal-mart customer service workers, or Wal-mart managers out there who'd care to advise me please?

And people, this season, and always until it's expired KEEP THE RECEIPT handy!

Kegan

EDIT: This is my defense:

1. Two Wal-Mart gift cards were purchased, and I asked the cashier in electronics to place $200 apiece on them, which she did.

2. Walking out of the electronics department, I had a change of heart concerning the amounts, and went into the customer service department.

3. I asked the woman at the desk if I could return one of the gift cards for a cash refund, and lower the second card down to $25 to give as a gift. This would leave me with $375 of my own money as a remainder.

4. The saleslady and her supervisor both informed me that it was not Wal-Mart store policy to accept returns on gift cards – allegedly because people were returning cards they had been given as gifts, and claiming the money.

5. I showed them the receipt stating I had just purchased the cards moments earlier, and explained that I had literally pulled them from the shelf, and had them filled before I decided that two cards of such high value were unnecessary. There was not a scratch worth mentioning on either of the cards, the silver strips were untouched, and no price had been written on either of the cards.

6. It is my reasoning that since the cards were purchased in a Wal-Mart store this makes them an item sold at that store and by logic, Wal-Mart merchandise.

7. There is no expiration date on a Wal-Mart receipt, anywhere at all, to my understanding. An item may be returned if a customer is dissatisfied with it – such as if clothing doesn’t meet their needs, etc., or if it is in unusable condition. Defective products are either exchanged for that same product, or the buyer may be given store credit.

8. In my instance, it therefore appears I was essentially given a “store credit” of $375. However, I am simply not satisfied with the product in question – it does not meet my needs, and it is still in a condition worth selling, as new. It is neither damaged, nor defective and I wish to return it for a full refund.

9. I understand that there may be a problem with people returning gift cards they have received as gifts, and turning them in for a monetary refund, that seems to be how it was explained to me. But in this case, it is an item I purchased personally, and it is unused and in no way defective or damaged.

It is technically simply Wal-Mart merchandise in this instance, and with my proof of purchase, my receipts, I would like to have it returned for a full refund.