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For some time now, Article 2061 of the French Civil Code had laid down the general principle that arbitration clauses were invalid. In 2001, an amendment to Article 2061 reversed the concept, so that the former principle became the exception and the law was made to favour arbitration. While the reform was a progressive step, it did leave some ambiguity especially concerning the consumer disputes. Arbitration is indeed a very convenient alternative dispute resolution method in this arena. The purpose of this thesis is to address some of the issues related to consumer disputes. It seeks to demonstrate that by adopting the concept of "inefficiency" of the arbitration clause, whose sanction depends on the will of the consumer, French law will not only reconcile its domestic provisions but also be in accordance with the other judicial systems.