No he can't. I'll say it again- These cards are STUPID!!!
They aren't gift cards, people call them gift cards because you give them as gifts. If you buy something and return it, it goes back to the card- like a regular CC. They can't be applied to large purchases because they will be "over the limit".
Stupid...... I work for Sears and we get them all the time. I think we should bill the CC companies for all the Sears gift cards we waste when we have to transfer the balance to one so it can be used for a purchase.