Australian eBay users are now in the dark a week early as the auction site moved across to winter time on the east coast of Australia before the official switchover.

Some areas of Australia this week extended their daylight savings time an extra week, leaving some in the dark over the switchover of the official time.

eBay users were today puzzled at the auction site's premature switch, which saw auctions run about an hour behind the usual time.

It is understood that a decision was taken on Sunday to let the official eBay time display the wrong information, despite it's team being aware of the extra week of daylight savings.

The eBay time, a key indicator for anyone buying and selling in auctions, now remains one hour behind the actual eastern time of Australia.

eBay however was not alone in the confusion, with mobile phone companies also sending out the wrong time to their users, as well as a switch in some computer's operating systems.

Daylight savings on the east coast will officially end this weekend.