@ tm2000
Just upload your own php.ini into the root with your timezone settings, e.g.
date.timezone = Europe/London
You may have to upload one into the manager folder as well - chmod the (both) ini file(s) to read only (400)
I've been using 1and1 for years, shared and dedicated - yes, support is s__t, but server uptime and price is extremely hard to beat.
Not a plug, just sharing experience