[Ethereum] Calling Smart Contract function returns tx object instead of expected return value in Truffle test

I have started writing a smart contract for a gift registry.

When I write tests using the Truffle Framework I get unexpected return values.

For example, when calling the offerGift function from within the test it returns a tx object instead of the id.

If I use offerGift.call(…) it returns the id but when I call getGift the gift can't be found, and I get the error

Error: Returned error: VM Exception while processing transaction: revert Gift not found

I have tried the answers provided in Returns TX Object instead result in Truffle test but they didn't work for me.

Using
Truffle v5.0.18 (core: 5.0.18)
Solidity v0.5.0 (solc-js)
Node v10.15.3
Web3.js v1.0.0-beta.37
Ganache v1.3.1
truffle-assertions 0.9.0

What am I doing wrong?

The Contract Code

pragma solidity >=0.4.21 <0.6.0;

contract GiftRegistry {

  uint256 idCounter = 0;
  enum GiftStatus { Offered }

  struct Gift {
    string description;
    uint256 value;
    GiftStatus status;
    address giftGiver;
    address giftReceiver;
    address giftApprover;
  }

  mapping(uint256 => Gift) public giftMap;

  function doesGiftExist(uint256 _giftId) private view returns(bool){
    Gift memory gift = giftMap[_giftId];
    bytes memory giftAsBytes = bytes(gift.description);

    return giftAsBytes.length > 0;
  }

  function getGift(uint256 _giftId) public view returns(string memory, uint256, GiftStatus, address, address, address){
    require(doesGiftExist(_giftId), 'Gift not found');
    Gift memory gift = giftMap[_giftId];

    return (
      gift.description,
      gift.value,
      gift.status,
      gift.giftGiver,
      gift.giftReceiver,
      gift.giftApprover
    );
  }

  function offerGift(string memory _description, uint256 _value, address _giftReceiver) public returns(uint256) {
    uint256 currentId = idCounter;
    giftMap[currentId] = Gift(_description, _value, GiftStatus.Offered, msg.sender, _giftReceiver, address(0));

    idCounter = idCounter + 1;

    return currentId;
  }
}

The Truffle Test

const GiftRegistry = artifacts.require('GiftRegistry');
const truffleAssert = require('truffle-assertions');

contract('The Gift Registry contract', accounts => {
  let contract;
  const giftGiverAddress = accounts[1];
  const giftReceiverAddress = accounts[2];

  beforeEach(async () => {
    contract = await GiftRegistry.new({from: accounts[0]});
  });

  describe('given offerGift is called', () => {
    const OfferedStatus = 0;

    it('the status should be set to offered', async () => {
      const fiveDollars = 500;
      // Calling like this returns a tx instead of the id, the gift can be found with a hard coded index of 0
      const giftId1 = await contract.offerGift('coffee', fiveDollars, giftReceiverAddress, {from: giftGiverAddress});
      // This call returns the new giftId, however the gift can't be found and the call to getGift throws the error
      // Error: Returned error: VM Exception while processing transaction: revert Gift not found
       const giftId2 = await contract.offerGift.call('coffee', fiveDollars, giftReceiverAddress, {from: giftGiverAddress});

      const gift = await contract.getGift.call(0);

      assert.equal(OfferedStatus, gift[2]);
    });

  });
});